


[LADRIEN INTENSIFIES]

by isadorator



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ALL LADRIEN, All the time, F/M, Someone stop me, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2018-07-28 16:45:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 35,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7648729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isadorator/pseuds/isadorator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of what are <i>supposed</i> to be 300-ish word ladrien fills, written for my ladrien blog/hoard, because I'm hopeless orz;;;</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. jackady prompts

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to the chronicle of me flailing as I try to write romance. To sum up:
> 
> • All the fics in this collection are ladrien-focused and can range in rating from G to E.  
> • You can check the beginning of each chapter for a link back to the original masterpost on tumblr, which links to each individual fill and categorizes them as sfw/pda/nsfw, for those wanting to be discriminating about what they read.  
> • There's a lot of AUs that I use for these drabbles, the most frequent of which is the gold and silver AU, which is a secret love affair AU that has [its own masterpost explaining it and listing fics of it in chronological order](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/146466145651/ladrien-secret-love-affair-au-masterpost).  
> • Some of these prompt fills got big enough to be posted on AO3 on their own, so I just link those under the prompt.
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These prompts were collected after Jackady/Simonsayz first aired in Quebec ([masterpost here](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/140592946926/tfw-not-only-do-you-finally-finally-get-a-ladrien)) because I was on such a high after finally, _finally_ getting some real ladrien and also reaching 1k posts on my ladrien blog :DDD

**1\. ribbons**

Adrien dove, pushing Ladybug into the chain-link fence and out of the way of the basketball hurtling towards her.

He grimaced and pulled away from where he was pressing against her, trying to keep his blush to a manageable level.

“You okay?” Adrien asked breathlessly. He was still wiped from his interrupted practice, still reeling at the realization that he was technically holding his lady in his arms right now.

“Y-yeah,” Ladybug replied, just as breathlessly. Adrien swallowed as she stared up at him, the sight of her wide blue eyes ripping through him like electricity, the metal of the fence creaking as he tightened his grip on it.

Her gaze darted to the side, looking at something over his shoulder, and the moment was lost as Ladybug lunged at him, knocking him to the pavement. The basketball aimed for Adrien’s head was still stuck in the fence, smoking in the blackened metal it had carved itself into. Wisps of red hung just underneath it, waving slowly in the breeze.

Ladybug was above him, dark hair fanning around her head like a halo. He’d never seen her with her hair down before, Adrien recalled numbly. A few strands brushed his cheek and he shivered.

He’d never felt her hair against his skin before, never seen her with smudges of dirt on her chin and nose, never seen her sweltering under the unbearable heat of Parisian summer. Ladybug looked like _she_ was the one half-dead from basketball practice, but there was still fire blazing in her, a determination to lead them both to victory, and it— _she_ —was _beautiful_.

“You need to find somewhere to hide,” she said and Adrien snapped out of his daze. He nodded and scrambled out from under her, heart still pounding in his chest.

  


* * *

  


**2\. fan merchandise**

Almost from the moment Ladybug and Chat Noir first saved Paris, tacky souvenirs based on them started popping up around the city, congregating in the most popular tourist spots. Everything from cheap t-shirts with their symbols on them to lovingly handmade cat-eared hats appeared on street corners and shop shelves. Marinette even made her own dolls modelled after herself, Chat Noir, and the akuma they fought, thinking that kids like Manon would like to play with them and wanting to test her own crafting skills. This type of merchandise was everywhere and on everyone, becoming a part of the city’s landscape in the same slightly irritating way that the pigeons were.

Still, Ladybug was stunned when Adrien checked his bag and pulled out a set of keys with a Ladybug keychain hanging off it.

“Um,” she said. Adrien’s eyes darted to the keys in confusion before flying open like he was seeing it for the first time. The knot low in her stomach coiled tighter when she spotted the charm she had given him as Marinette hanging beside it.

“Uh, ahaha, um.” He hastily stuffed the keys back in his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Looks like they didn’t get anything! So thanks! For saving me!!” He lifted a hand to rub at his neck and laughed, high and stiff.

“N-no problem! Only doing my job!” Ladybug stammered and wanted to kick herself. She sounded so _weird!!_ But it was just...

Adrien had one of her keychains.

He kept her charm with him.

_How was she supposed to act normal after learning that??_

“Really, thank you,” Adrien finally said, with that sincere, gentle smile of his and Ladybug was _gone_ , lost in his warmth.

“ARRRGH, JUST _ASK HER OUT ALREADY!!_ ” one of the tied-up muggers yelled at them.

  


* * *

  


**3\. artistic muse (gold and silver au)**

When Adrien first pictured being with Ladybug, he dreamed of late night games of cat-and-bug over the rooftops and presenting flowers to a dark-haired, blue-eyed girl, with no masks standing between them.

He didn’t imagine the midnight rendezvous on his balcony, the whispered conversations and muffled giggles, the way they almost instantly fell into an easy closeness.

He _did_ imagine waking up naked in his bed and pleasantly sore, body aching sweetly where Ladybug left her marks on him. The only thing missing from his living fantasy was his lady curled up beside him, but Adrien accepted that for now.

He’d win his lady’s heart and trust eventually, revealing himself to her only when the sole reason _she_ didn’t was the perceived threat of Hawk Moth.

Adrien crossed his arms behind his head and sighed happily at the ceiling, his grin staying in place even as Plagg flew over and landed in his hair.

“If you could stop being lovesick for five seconds, your girlfriend left you something,” Plagg said. His kwami didn’t really do good mornings—or manners in general—but Adrien couldn’t muster up his usual annoyance today.

He rolled over, shaking off Plagg in the process, and noticed the paper on his side table. Sitting up to grab it, Adrien turned it over and felt his heart leap into his throat.

It was a pencil sketch of him, sleeping in his bed. 

He was used to photos, but it was different to see himself in sweeping lines and delicately smudged shadows. The blindfold he wore had nudged up while he slept, so the curve of his eyelashes against his cheeks was captured as well. It was signed with Ladybug’s signature and a single, maddening heart.

“I love her,” Adrien whispered, staring in awe.

“I _know_ ,” Plagg groaned.

  


* * *

  


**4\. make-outs (gold and silver au)**

“ _Adrien_ ,” she croaked and his eyes grew impossibly big as she tipped forward, angling up so she could touch her lips to his, closing her eyes as they met.

He was warm and soft against her and Ladybug dragged his face even closer, trying to press everything she felt for him _into_ him. Her heartbeat doubled, tripled, threatened to fly free of her chest when Adrien let out a quiet moan and kissed her back, his hands brushing and then settling lightly on her waist. Like she— _this_ —was something fragile and delicate, as if she wasn’t already shattered by the way he tilted his head and leaned into her.

Ladybug’s hands slid from his face to his shoulders before she reached behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck as his mouth moved against hers. There was a fire in her, flaring higher and higher every second she spent kissing Adrien, throwing sparks when she threaded one hand through his hair and he responded by tightening his grip and drawing her close.

She followed his motion, stepping forward and crowding Adrien backwards until his back hit the game machine. Their lips parted with a wet pop that left Ladybug shuddering and she watched hungrily as his eyes fluttered open, felt a surge of pride and desperate need as she admired the dark flush that _she’d_ put on his face.

“ _Ladybug_ ,” Adrien gasped and goosebumps rose on her skin. Ladybug surged forward, crashing her mouth against his, unable to take more than a moment’s exposure to Adrien’s blatant desire, for _her_ , because he _loved_ her, oh _god_ —

She sucked his bottom lip between hers and he _groaned_ , jerking back and accidentally hitting the on switch with his elbow.

“Sorry!” he yelped as the dance machine came to life. Ladybug dropped her head on his shoulder, helpless with laughter.

  


* * *

  


**5\. stuck in a small space**

Ladybug pulled Adrien behind her, trying to keep her footsteps quiet as they ducked into the locker room. She could hear claws scuttling against the floor, closer and closer. Her head whipped around as she searched for a hiding spot.

_There!_

She tightened her hold on Adrien’s wrist and darted for the one locker left ajar. Ladybug opened the door wider before hauling Adrien in front of it and grabbing onto his shoulders.

“In here,” she hissed, head tilted away as she strained her ears.

“What?”

No time—the scuttling was _right_ outside. Ladybug pushed down on Adrien’s shoulders, shoving him into the bottom section of the locker. She quickly crouched and climbed in after him, pulling the door closed behind her.

“ _What_ —?!”

Ladybug clapped a hand over Adrien’s mouth, putting a finger to her lips. Her eyes were glued to the slit she had left.

The click of claws drew near. Ladybug leaned into Adrien, trying to make themselves a smaller target.

A long, hairy leg swept across her vision. And another. And _another_. Eight legs, all working in tandem. Ladybug held her breath as Black Widow walked past, her six eyes searching for them.

Luckily, the half-human, half-spider akuma missed them and kept going. Ladybug waited until she left completely before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry about that,” Ladybug said, turning back to Adrien. Right before she _choked_.

She hadn’t realized, with the small space and her attention elsewhere, that she was half-sprawled on Adrien’s lap, one knee wedged into his groin.

She tore her hand away from his mouth and he _panted_ , red-faced and teary-eyed and—oh.

Ladybug shifted her knee experimentally and Adrien whimpered.

_Oh._

Blood pounding in her ears, Ladybug remembered there was a janitor’s closet down the hall.

With a lock.

  


* * *

  


**6\. rain (gold and silver au)**

Rain dripped from the edge of the gazebo’s roof and splashed onto the railing, sprinkling Adrien with water. He huffed and huddled away from the damp, glaring sourly at the sudden downpour.

And after all that time he spent bringing Ladybug around to the idea of an outdoor date.

As much as Adrien loved the evenings they spent in his room, the patrols and battles he fought with her as Chat Noir, he really wanted to take Ladybug out _properly_. Hold her hand as they walked through the park, put an arm around her shoulders and throw popcorn at each other in a darkened theatre, feed each other bites of parfait at a quiet little café...

Adrien was startled out of his daydreams by someone calling out his name. He twisted around on the bench, heart racing, _hoping_ —

There was a girl running towards him, wearing an oversized, black coat. She’d tucked her loose hair under a beanie and wore unseasonably large sunglasses. Adrien wouldn’t have recognized her, if it weren’t for her familiar voice and the borrowed blue scarf wrapped around her neck.

Adrien stood, rushing to meet her as she climbed the gazebo’s steps, which put him close enough to catch her when she tripped.

“Sorry!” Ladybug squeaked as she steadied herself against him. “I’m, uh, _kind_ of a klutz without my powers, haha.”

“It’s okay,” Adrien said. He felt warm joy unfurl in his chest, spreading through his body and leaving him tingling.

Ladybug was _here_. Without a mask. Risking her identity just so she could spend the day with _him_.

Unable to hold back any longer, Adrien wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Ladybug froze, before melting into him.

“Hi,” he murmured into her neck.

“H-hi,” she replied, hugging him tighter.

  


* * *

  


**7\. smiles (gold and silver au)**

There were times that Marinette really, truly, _sincerely_ believed that the cause—and solution— to all of her life’s problems was Adrien Agreste's smile.

Her problem was that she needed to head home soon if she ever wanted to get some sleep.

But she was currently Ladybug, sitting on Adrien’s couch, in his _lap_ , letting him kiss her senseless, and she really, _really_ didn’t want to move.

Adrien hummed and licked his lips as he pulled away, squeezing Ladybug’s hips when she made a noise of complaint. He settled back against the couch, voice husky as he asked her, “Do you still want to go home?”

Combined with the rakish grin he seemed to wear more and more often around her, with the way his half-lidded eyes practically _drank_ her in as they ran slowly over her body... well.

Ladybug bit her lip to keep herself from saying anything embarrassing, but her silence was telling enough.

Something behind Adrien’s eyes went from wanting to _tender_ and he leaned forward, closing what little space there was between them to pull her into a tight hug. Ladybug’s face burned as he pressed a soft kiss on the underside of her jaw.

“Stay,” Adrien pleaded against her skin and Ladybug tensed, a double shock of anxiety and lust hitting her at once.

“Wh-what?” she gasped, dizzy with the sudden, explicit images that single word spawned in her head. Adrien was both exactly and nothing like she had expected, so maybe... he really meant...?

He tilted his head back, enough so Ladybug could see his smile, sweet and gentle and _loving_.

“Stay here tonight,” said Adrien, a blush rising in his cheeks. “We don’t have to _do_ anything, I just... want to sleep next to you.”

Ladybug’s heart stuttered in her chest. Oh.

_Oh._

  


* * *

  


**8\. croissants**

The croissant basket was empty.

Adrien let his eyes fall shut and tried not to groan in frustration. When he first learned that he and his father would be staying in Le Grand Paris while the mansion was fumigated, he was _thrilled_. However, his hopes of spending some time with him and having a little more freedom were quickly crushed.

His father hadn’t shown up once, practically living at the headquarters of Gabriel Agreste SE, while Adrien had to fend off Chloé’s increasingly bold advances. He managed to lose her long enough to get to the complimentary breakfast buffet, but... it was too late.

Adrien sighed and turned, resigning himself to picking through the spread of fruits nearby—

“Y-you, um, you can have mine!?” someone burst out as they thrust a plate in his face. He leaned back in surprise, going cross-eyed looking at the lone ( _delicious_ ) croissant on it.

“Uh, thanks?” he said, taking the plate carefully from them, then nearly dropping it in shock. “ _Ladybug?!_ ”

With the plate out of the way, he could see her standing before him, wringing her hands. “Yeah, ahaha, yup, that’s... that’s me! Ladybug!”

Adrien stared. Around him, he could hear whispers start up as people began to notice the superhero in their midst, but Adrien’s eyes were solely on Ladybug.

“What are you doing here?” he asked softly. Already his terrible morning looked brighter with _her_ in it. Ladybug fidgeted.

“I was just... I was _passing by_ and Jagged Stone saw me and he wanted to do a joint interview and I—”

Ladybug’s stomach growled loudly.

Adrien blinked at her reddening face before dropping his gaze to his plate.

“Would you like to join me for breakfast?” he managed to ask.

Ladybug nodded sheepishly and Adrien felt lighter than air.

  


* * *

  


**9\. never have i ever**

Alya winked at her and Marinette knew things were either going to go very, very well or very, very _bad_. There was no in-between with Alya.

“Never have I ever... been in love!” Alya crowed triumphantly and almost everyone, including Marinette, groaned.

It was Max’s birthday and their entire homeroom had been invited to the party. They sat in a circle around a pile of junk food, trying to see who would be the first to lose in Never Have I Ever, and Marinette was now two fingers away from having to do a penalty dare.

Still, Alya had picked a really good ‘never’. The only people who hadn’t put down a finger were Alix, Sabrina, and Max himself.

Marinette paused, reran that observation through her head, and nearly screamed.

It seemed Nino had come to the same conclusion _she_ did, because he wrapped an arm around Adrien’s shoulders.

“ _Dude_ , how could you not _tell_ me?!” Nino demanded, shaking him as the entire group exploded at the revelation. Adrien was sputtering and blushing during Nino’s interrogation, Chloé screeched about how _she_ was his only love, while Alya sent Marinette another, more obvious wink.

Marinette was reeling—Alya had _planned_ this? Adrien had been in love?? Was he in love _right now???_ —but even in her panic, she still saw a wicked look cross Nino’s face as he pulled away from Adrien, only to whisper in Rose’s ear. Her eyes went wide, mouth splitting into a huge grin.

“Oh, that’s good!” Rose said and cleared her throat. Everyone began shushing each other. It was her turn. “Never have I ever... been in love with _Ladybug!_ ”

The room went dead quiet. They turned in unison to watch as Adrien, beet red and not meeting anyone’s eye, lowered a single finger.

Marinette fainted.

  


* * *

  


**10\. damsel in distress (tangled au)**

Adrien watched, helpless, as Hawk Moth, the man who raised him as his father, who was actually his distant ancestor, stumbled and fell out the tower window. What was left of his shattered heart went numb and cold as he heard Hawk Moth’s scream abruptly end.

No one could have survived that fall.

Adrien’s breath was harsh and heavy in his ears and— _Ladybug!_

He pushed the grief and guilty relief under the numbness blanketing him and scrambled to Ladybug's—Marinette's—side. She was frighteningly limp when he pulled her into his lap, the blood from her stab wound staining the knees of his trousers.

Adrien realized that he could still feel pain when he couldn’t see her breathing.

“Nonononono, _Marinette!_ ” he pleaded, stroking the chilled skin of her face. He nearly cried when Marinette coughed and shuddered back to life. “ _Oh_ , look at me, _look at me_ , don’t go, stay with me, _Marinette_ —!”

Desperate for a miracle, Adrien grabbed her hand and held it against his head, hoping that his now dirty blond locks still had a drop of magic left in them. His voice cracked as he sang his childhood lullaby, the broken pieces of his heart _screaming_ when there was no telltale glow—

“—Adrien.”

“What?” Adrien whimpered, barely able to see through the tears welling in his eyes. Marinette was so brave and good and _kind_ and she gave up everything, _everything_ to save him from his—from Hawk Moth and she—she was—

“You were my new dream,” Marinette breathed. Adrien sobbed, joy and devastation tangling together because—

“And you were mine,” he said. Marinette’s lips twitched upwards, her lovely blue eyes blinking once before they fell shut. She went still, slumping in his arms, and Adrien knew everyone he’d ever loved was dead.

  


* * *

  


**11\. beauty facial masks (gold and silver au)**

A snicker burst past Ladybug’s lips. She slapped both hands over her mouth, trying to stop the rest from escaping.

Adrien groaned and sat up from where he was lying on his couch, taking the cucumber slices off his eyes. “I swear, if you’re getting cheese in my—” He opened his eyes and promptly dropped the slices in his lap. “—L- _Ladybug?!_ ”

Ladybug kept her hands up, aware of the grin spreading behind them. “Hi, Adrien,” she managed before another fit of giggles came over her.

She didn’t mean to sneak up on him. Ladybug only wanted to visit Adrien, finding his balcony door unlocked. She hadn’t expected her _boyfriend_ (and, god, didn’t _that_ send a jolt of happiness through her every time she remembered) to be wearing a bright green _facial mask_ , of all things.

A fond half-smile settled over Adrien’s face as he watched her laugh at him. “It’s not funny, you know. It’s hard work being a model.”

“But you make it look so _easy_ ,” Ladybug teased, before she realized what she said. “U-um, I mean, uh...”

Adrien looked surprised and then ducked his head, one hand lifting to rub his neck. “Th-thanks,” he mumbled.

Her gut clenched. Ladybug wondered what it said about her that she wanted to kiss him, right here and now, when he was flustered and covered in pseudo monster slime.

His lips _were_ bare—ack, no, down Marinette!!

Hot with embarrassment, Ladybug quickly joined Adrien on the couch, lifting up his legs so she could sit down. He flailed and lost his balance, falling against the cushions with a yelp.

“Sorry!” she said, cringing, and let his legs drop on her lap. She picked up the cucumber slices and placed them back on his eyes. “Let’s just... _relax_. And talk. Okay?”

  


* * *

  


**12\. visible marks (gold and silver au)**

_I want to see you_ was Adrien’s overwhelming thought. He didn’t realize he’d said it out loud until Ladybug stopped grinding her hips into his.

“Sorry, I’m _sorry_ , I know—” he tried to explain, but Ladybug cut him off with a scorching kiss, tugging on his hair with both hands. Adrien melted under her, running his hands up and down her bare sides, gasping when she ripped her mouth away and bent to nip at his ear.

“Stay here,” Ladybug ordered. Then she was gone, leaving Adrien alone and aching on his bed. The boxers he wore weren’t enough to keep him warm, so he shivered and waited and _waited_ —

Adrien felt the bed dip when Ladybug rejoined him. He sat up, hoping to revel in her warm affection, but she stayed out of his reach.

“Take off your blindfold,” she said and Adrien froze.

“ _What?_ ”

Ladybug touched him, resting her hand on his knee, and said, “Please, Adrien.”

Chest tight with emotion, he did as she asked.

Ladybug still wore her mask. It must have been a costume replica, Adrien realized, because her kwami had long since left them to their own devices. But the rest of her...

Moonlight slanted through his windows and shone on her body, the vast expanses of her naked skin broken only by the lacy, pink fabric of her bra and panties. For the first time, Adrien could _see_ the freckles on Ladybug’s shoulders, the flush that stretched from her ears to her chest, the love bites he’d left behind, hoping she would see them later and think of him.

“You’re beautiful,” he told her. Ladybug shuddered. “You’re so beautiful and wonderful and I love you, _I love you_ —”

She fell into him and Adrien held her, his _lady_ , with everything he had.

  


* * *

  


**13\. ice cream sandwiches (tangled au)**

The guards kept walking and Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief, ducking back into the recessed doorway.

“Is everything alright, Marinette?” Adrien asked, the look of well-meaning concern he wore contrasting wildly with the cookie crumbs and melted ice cream smeared around his mouth.

Adrien was a pretty, clueless, wildly deprived, sheltered person, and, Ladybug admitted to herself, his first festival food _probably_ shouldn’t have been an ice cream sandwich.

Ladybug opened her mouth to reprimand Adrien for using her real name _again_ , then closed it, tapping her finger against her chin as a thought struck her.

While the royal guards were looking for Ladybug... maybe it _was_ better to be plain Marinette. At least until her satchel was returned and Adrien was back up—his... tower...

Stomping down her sudden disquiet, Ladybug handed Adrien her ice cream sandwich, resolving to buy him a handkerchief as soon as possible. He took the treat, one eyebrow raised in question.

“It will be,” she answered and then shot him a wink. “Just don’t... _freak out_. Tikki, spots off!”

Ladybug closed her eyes before Adrien could respond to his own words being thrown back at him. She felt Tikki’s magic peel away from her, revealing the simple pink dress and black cloak she wore underneath.

Knowing Tikki had hidden in her hood before Adrien could catch a glimpse of her, Marinette took a steadying breath. Adrien already knew who she was, this wasn’t a big deal, it _wasn’t_ —

She forced her eyes open and nearly stumbled while standing still.

Adrien stared down at her, a furious blush crawling up his unkempt face. His wide, dreamy green eyes blinked once before he turned away sharply, mumbling.

“I think he _likes_ you,” Tikki whispered in Marinette’s ear.

_I think I... **like** him too_ , she thought, stunned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE RAIN PROMPT WAS ACTUALLY WEIRDLY POPULAR, enough that [professaurus](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/141579979101), [elaienar](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/143035045531), and [qookyquiche](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/146415570381) ([twice!!](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/146455717181)) drew fanart based on it. Thanks again!!!! :'D I still fall into a happiness coma every time I see them laksjshlkajs ♥♥♥


	2. volpina prompts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These prompts were collected after Volpina aired in Quebec ([masterpost here](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/141337883761/%E0%A9%AD-%CF%89-%E0%A9%AD-today-we-have-been-graced-with)) because I had just finished the Jackady prompts and thought, gosh, more ladrien eps means I should open prompts again!! Which may have been a mistake, as it took me a year to finish all these, lol. If you notice the writing style changing through this collection, it's probably because of that :'D

**1\. the 4 times adrien pretended to shower to hide from ladybug (and the 1 time he was actually showering when she calls out his bullshit)**

“Adrien?! Are you here? There’s an akuma—!”

Chat Noir twisted the shower knob in a panic and accidentally doused himself with water.

“ _Shoot_ , ah, d-don’t come in! I’m, uh, in the shower!”

  


* * *

  


This was such a bad idea.

“But Chat Noir asked me to keep an eye on you!”

“Unless you want to see me naked, I really think it’s better for you to keep an eye on the _door_.”

Ladybug didn’t say anything. Adrien sighed, relieved.

  


* * *

  


“Plagg, _why do you keep doing this??_ ” Adrien hissed, trying to pull his kwami out of a roll of toilet paper. His grip on Plagg slipped and his arm shot backwards, knocking over a shelf’s worth of bottles.

“Are you okay in there?!”

“I’m fine, I just dropped the soap!” Adrien shouted back.

  


* * *

  


This was something out of his fantasies, but it felt more like a nightmare.

“Do you _like_ me, Adrien?” Ladybug crooned, tracing circles on his chest and fluttering her pink eyes at him. Adrien dodged around her.

“Ihavetotakeacoldshower!!” he yelled before ducking into the bathroom and barricading the door. How in the world was he going to break the akuma’s spell?

  


* * *

  


Adrien rested his forehead on the wall, letting the warm spray wash over his aching muscles. Exhausted, he didn’t notice Ladybug barrelling into his bathroom until she slammed into him.

He was wet, naked, pressed up against a wall by the girl of his _dreams_ , and Adrien was too tense to appreciate it.

“They're—!”

“— _here!_ ” Adrien finished, spotting the shadow minions following her in.

No time for clothes. Adrien hastily wrapped a towel around his waist and held on to Ladybug as she swung them both out the window.

“I thought you were… uh. Faking. Showers. To… avoid me,” Ladybug admitted, face red.

“I would _never_.”

  


* * *

  


**2\. disney (gold and silver au)**

Adrien had a new couch.

Raising an eyebrow, Ladybug walked around it before stopping dead in her tracks.

Adrien didn’t have a _new_ couch. He’d bought an exact copy of his _old_ couch, which he placed back-to-back with the original. One facing the windows, the other facing his computer desk.

“ _Why?_ ” she asked, incredulous. Adrien laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

“I, uh, wanted to watch a movie with you, but I like the view from my window too,” he said, turning pink. “It… seemed like a good idea at the time?”

“O-oh,” Ladybug said weakly, feeling her face grow hot. Adrien was… _too much_ for her, sometimes. Even now, when they were _together_. “SO, um, wh-what did you want to watch?”

He lifted up a DVD case with a shy smile. Ladybug’s eyes went wide.

“No way, you have Zootopia _already?!_ ”

  


* * *

  


Ladybug began to suspect something was up when, in the middle of the jungle chase sequence, Adrien _yawned_.

It wasn’t the cute yawn he tried to stifle when he felt sleepy in class or when they stayed up too late talking and he didn’t want her to leave yet.

It was big, it was dramatic, and it involved a stretch that ended with one of his arms resting on the back of the couch. Right above her shoulders.

And Ladybug was hyperaware of how that arm ever so slowly inched downward.

She watched Adrien from the corner of her eyes. He was staring straight ahead, the lights from his massive flat screen flickering across his carefully blank face.

Exasperation and fondness shot through Ladybug in an instant. She reached for his arm, guiding it around her shoulders and burying herself in his side.

Adrien tensed, relaxing only when she laced her free hand with his.

  


* * *

  


**3\. halloween (gold and silver au)**

“You can look now.”

Adrien sat up, taking the pillow off his face and…

Wait.

He expected the mask. That was their new normal (though they went back to the blindfold sometimes, for fun).

He’d been looking forward to another glimpse into Ladybug’s life. To learn that she owned _this_ skirt, that she wore _these_ kind of pyjamas, that she liked the new lingerie he got her. But…

“You’re still transformed,” he said, bewildered.

Ladybug’s smile turned sharp, and Adrien felt a shiver go down his spine.

“You’re probably too rich to know this,” she said as she sauntered towards him. “But there’s a thing that happens the day after Halloween.”

“Wh-what’s that?” Adrien stammered, losing control of his tongue completely when Ladybug dropped into his lap. His hands came up automatically to hold her hips and…

He frowned, puzzled. Ladybug’s supersuit felt _different_ tonight. Less leather-like, more… _spandex_.

She leaned forward and said, “Clearout sales on costumes.”

Adrien’s mind went completely, blissfully blank.

  


* * *

  


_On the night of November 1_ , the papers would surely write, _Adrien Agreste was burned alive in his bed_.

It _felt_ like it, as Adrien crouched naked over Ladybug, one hand fisting his sheets while the other was clenching hers. He bit his lip, trying to hold back his whimper as Ladybug slowly pumped his cock.

The sensation of her gloved hand catching, then sliding over his skin was—it was—

“Hey, handsome,” Ladybug said, nudging his nose with hers. Adrien wrenched his eyes open, nearly coming undone by the sight of her flushed face, the smug quirk of her lips, the bright glimmer of triumph in her eyes. “I like hearing you. So… tell me what you _want_.”

Ladybug swiped a thumb over his tip and the words burst out of Adrien in a flood.

“You, you, youyouyou, I want— _ngh_ , I want— _you_ —”

“Good answer~” she teased before leaning up to kiss him.

  


* * *

  


**4\. tried to kiss your lips but i missed**

Ladybug decided it was time to put her foot down when, after a very close call with an akuma, Chat Noir abandoned their usual fist bump in favour of kissing her.

Taken by surprise, she’d turned her head in time for it to catch her cheek instead of her lips. The cameras flashed anyway, and Ladybug felt anxiety claw at her gut.

“We need to talk,” she said after he’d pulled away. Fear and guilt sharpened her tone, cutting through Chat deeper than she meant to. He flinched, cat ears flattening against his head as he meekly nodded, and Ladybug felt that much worse.

The fight with the akuma had been a _mess_ , but the end result was that their kwami had had a chance to recover, leaving them free to spend as much time transformed as they wished. Which was good, since Ladybug wanted to visit Adrien soon, before word got to him about… _this_.

They stopped at the Notre-Dame, landing behind Le Stryge for cover, but Ladybug’s thoughts kept racing. If Adrien broke up with her because of this—

“My lady, I’m _sor_ —”

“I HAVE A BOYFRIEND,” Ladybug blurted out.

Chat Noir visibly paused, cat ears flicking upwards before the edges of his mouth followed suit. “Oh, _really_.”

Ladybug wrestled her embarrassment, but it tag-teamed her with the intrigued glint in Chat’s eye, and she was soundly defeated.

“I-I don’t mind. T-the flirting, I mean.” Her blush was spreading, she could _feel_ it. “We b-both know you’re just joking around, but you took it _too far_ today, and I’m afraid that…” Ladybug trailed off, shrinking in on herself.

“That?” Chat repeated gently.

“That he’ll… h-he’ll think I’m… _cheating_ on him. With you.”

Silence.

Then, Chat Noir did something Ladybug had never seen him do before.

He _laughed_.

  


* * *

  


**5\. magic (ladybird au)**

This was bad, this was very, _very_ bad!!

Ladybug fled in a panic, Mockingjay right on her tail. The akuma chased her almost lazily, pausing every few seconds to zap someone else with their body-changing magic. If Ladybug could just find someplace to retreat— _there_!

She waited until Mockingjay was distracted by a group of tourists before swooping into the open window. That was when Ladybug realized she didn’t know how to land.

She crashed, _hard_ , the impact knocking the air out of her lungs.

Pain.

Throbbing, disorienting _pain_ , stabbing Ladybug with each move she tried to make. Tikki’s magic couldn’t protect her from falls when she was like this.

But his kwami couldn’t protect Chat Noir either if Mockingjay got to him too. She had to warn him.

She had to get— _up_ —!

“Whoa, whoa! Calm down, I got you.”

The voice was familiar, but Ladybug was more concerned by the _giant hands closing around her **oh god**_ —

She tried to struggle free, but whoever captured her had a firm grip.

Firm, but surprisingly gentle, Ladybug realized. They held her with one hand, careful not to jostle her as the other supported her feet. Gradually, she began to relax.

“Oooh, ouch. Looks like you sprained a wing there, little buddy,” they said, before sighing. “I really need to put up some window decals or something.”

Slowly, Ladybug was turned in their hands, and finally she could see the person fussing over her.

“I’ve never seen a bird like you before,” said Adrien Agreste because the world couldn’t decide if it loved or hated her.

Ladybug wanted to _die_.

Adrien moved his thumb, stroking the top of her feathered head and, _oh_ , that felt kinda—

“You’re pretty, though,” he said and, correction, she _must_ be dead because this was _heaven_.

  


* * *

  


**6\. staring into each other’s eyes (ladybird au)**

“You won’t be able to fly the coop, little ladybird!” Mockingjay crowed, flying high above the park, the golden pin at their breast glinting in the sunlight.

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Adrien muttered to himself. He ducked back behind the tree and glanced down at the little red bird he’d been taking care of. It (or more likely, _they_ ) stared back, meeting his peepers with an uncommon glint of intelligence. “You’re one of Mockingjay’s victims, aren’t you?”

The bird nodded, and Adrien felt as silly as a goose. He was caged into a bad situation—Ladybug was late, and he couldn’t transform in front of someone else. It looked like he was going to have to wing it.

“Can you fly?” Adrien asked, and his bird friend flapped their wings easily in response, fit as a feather. He grinned wildly, proud as a peacock over their recovery, and turned to face Mockingjay, a plan coming together in his head. “Alright, time to stop being sitting ducks—cover me.”

He ran out, leading Mockingjay on a wild goose chase around the park. His bird friend chirped in alarm and rushed into the way of Mockingjay’s beams, the magic sliding off them like water off a duck’s back.

Adrien circled around Mockingjay like a hawk, closing in and finally pouncing when his bird attacked their face. He ripped off the pin and broke it under his heel, watching the akuma fly free as a bird. He let his friend land on him, hoping Ladybug wouldn’t be as mad as a wet hen about the akuma getting away—

The magic wore off, and Adrien was treated to the sight of Ladybug perched on his arm… right before gravity took hold again. They fell into a heap, Ladybug landing on top of him, and Adrien felt goosebumps rise when he realized how close her face was to his.

“Ahahaha, I should, um, the-the akuma—” Ladybug stuttered, attempting to get up, and Adrien quickly helped her, face robin red as he realized— _Ladybird_ , oh god, he was such a _birdbrain_.

  


* * *

  


**7\. music (gold and silver au)**

It was their fourteenth month anniversary and, as usual, Adrien was the only one of them to remember. He was also the only one of them to actually _do_ something.

Near the beginning of their relationship, Ladybug told him that he didn’t have to do something _every_ month, but…

“I… I _like_ treating you,” Adrien said when she brought it up, ears going red the way they always did when he was overwhelmed. “I like… _love_ spoiling you, so… um…”

He’d looked away, too embarrassed to go on, and Ladybug tripped over her words as she rushed to agree with whatever he wanted.

Which was why, more than a year later, Ladybug had her hands fisted in Adrien’s hair, slowly unravelling to the sounds of his mouth working between her legs and [the playlist he’d put together](https://youtu.be/3gxNW2Ulpwk), just for them, just for _tonight_.

“Hah, _Adrien_ …,” she whined, her thighs trembling against his shoulders as he licked her clit. Adrien’s grip on her waist tightened and, _fuck_ , she was so _close_ —

The song ended, switching over to a faster, _familiar_ tune. They both froze.

“ _[I wanna be the very best](https://youtu.be/JuYeHPFR3f0)_.”

Adrien’s head whipped up, his horrified eyes meeting hers.

“ _Like no one ever was_.”

He shot up from the bed, scrambling for the speaker dock on his bedside table and jamming his finger into one of the buttons.

“ _[Twelve years ago, a nine-tailed fox suddenly appeared](https://youtu.be/d8xoTBZrzko)_ …”

Ladybug’s shock began to bleed off as Adrien frantically pressed everything he could.

“ _[Your move! Your move! Your move! Your](https://youtu.be/wjZNz0Gj1TM)_ — _[Kiss, kiss, fall in love!](https://youtu.be/T3ivdddYT9k)_ — _[po pi po pi po po-pi-po](https://youtu.be/JPKzyDBbxbM)_ —”

“AAAAAAAAAH!!”

Adrien ripped his phone out of the speaker dock, accidentally knocking it over. He stood there naked, panting over the wreckage, tensing when Ladybug finally gave in and burst into hysterical laughter.

  


* * *

  


**8\. moaning (gold and silver au)**

Being blindfolded meant Adrien _couldn’t see Ladybug_. But it was a price he was willing to pay, for however long she wanted it, if he could be with her like _this_.

Like this, he could caress Ladybug’s bare waist, taste the skin over Ladybug’s collarbone, have Ladybug’s long leg hook over his hip, pressing them closer together as they lay on their sides, facing each other on his bed.

Like this, he could feel the fabric of Ladybug’s underwear (her _panties_ ) as she guided his fumbling hand over, then _under_ it, and… a-and…

Adrien swallowed thickly, the arm he’d circled around her tightening as she shivered against him. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and breathed, trying to calm himself, only to get twisted up more by her scent. Ladybug smelled clean and vaguely sweet.

God, she was so _wet_.

“A- _Adrien_ ,” Ladybug moaned, her hand curling against his chest. Adrien stilled, frozen by the realization that, like this, he could _hear_ Ladybug—

Her other hand joined his, sandwiching it in heat, right before she _pushed down_ , moving his fingers _deeper_ into her, _holy fuck_ —

“Yeah,” she said, sounding so pleased as he began to follow her lead. Ladybug’s hands trembled as he stroked her. “Yeah, like tha— _AH!_ ”

So, Ladybug _liked_ it when he kissed her neck at the same time. Good to know.

And she _really_ liked it when Adrien focused on the little nub he’d found, judging by the way she’d groaned.

_Loudly_.

Uh.

He loved Ladybug like this, but _maybe_ they should—

A door handle rattled, nearly giving Adrien a heart attack before he remembered. Ladybug tore herself away from him, rustling his sheets until there was a thump and a yelp.

“Adrien? Are you alright?” asked a muffled voice.

He was _definitely_ going to tease Ladybug later about falling off his bed. But, for now, Adrien had to focus on fending off his father’s concerns.

Thank god for locks.

  


* * *

  


**9\. sweat (gold and silver au)**

After they graduated, Marinette didn’t visit Collège Françoise-Dupont nearly as often as Adrien did. So she still felt that warm ache of nostalgia when she swung past as Ladybug, pausing briefly at a window to check in on Adrien.

He started when his head tilted in her direction, waving at his instructor to call a time out. When Adrien lifted up his fencing mask, he subtly gestured to the locker room, smiling all the while.

Ladybug snuck inside like she used to, using the window with the broken latch that nobody bothered to fix. She hid until Adrien came in and locked the door behind him.

“Hey,” he said breathlessly. He stripped off his mask and gloves, dropping them onto a bench as they both rushed to meet each other. When Adrien jumped, Ladybug caught him in her arms, spinning them both around.

She couldn’t help but laugh with Adrien, even as she slowed and set Adrien back on his feet, only to tug him down for a kiss, their giggles muffled against each other’s lips.

Ladybug managed to pull back from his warmth and light, admiring the mess her wandering hands had made of his damp hair. Her heart went soft and unsteady when she realized that the disarray made him look more like his superhero persona.

“Hello to you too, sweaty,” she teased, winking as Adrien pouted at her, his cheeks still flushed from his practice. She hugged him close, his hands settling on her waist, and—oh. _Well_. “Is that your sabre or are you just happy to see me?”

He leaned in, touching his nose with hers as he grinned. “But I’m always happy to see you, princess~”

Ladybug quirked an eyebrow, her lips twitching when panic swept Adrien’s face.

“ _Wait_ , I didn’t actually mean it like _that!_ ” he hissed. Ladybug rested her head on his chest, giving into the snickers shaking her frame as Adrien became more and more flustered. “Stop laughing, it was supposed to be _endearing!!_ ”

  


* * *

  


**10\. bath**

One of the perks of being Chat Noir was the boost in physical senses. The sensory information he received through his cat ears, cat eyes, and augmented nose was incredible in its depth and complexity.

It was almost overwhelming at times. Enough that Chat suspected that Plagg did something to his brain when he transformed, just so it could handle all the extra input and not get completely overloaded.

Whatever the process behind it, Adrien remembered all the things he heard, saw, and smelled as Chat. He could still recognize them even with his mundane, human senses.

Which was why, when Chloé dragged him off on a shopping trip and into a cosmetics store, Adrien quickly zeroed in on the one thing that smelled the most like Ladybug.

“You’re absolutely hopeless. You _must_ know that,” Plagg said, hovering over Adrien as he filled his bathtub.

“Shut uuuuuup,” Adrien groaned. He felt like he hadn’t stopped blushing since he’d found _it_ and Plagg was not. Helping.

_It_ was a bath bomb called Think Pink and… well, it was pink. With flowers embedded inside. And it was _supposed_ to smell like lavender, tonka bean, neroli, and vanilla, but…

Adrien turned off the water, taking another whiff of the bath bomb in his hand. He closed his eyes, the heat in his cheeks growing worse.

“It really smells like her…” Adrien murmured. He heard Plagg scoff behind him.

“ _Clearly_ , you and the ball need some _alone_ time, so I’m going to go get a snack.” With that, Plagg flew off, ignoring Adrien’s stammered protests as he wandered out the open door and into the bedroom.

Feeling more embarrassed than ever, Adrien sighed and dropped the bath bomb into the tub. He watched with interest as it fizzed, releasing its wonderful, maddening scent into the air. Pink spread like ink throughout the water, as well as… _heart-shaped confetti_.

Adrien covered his burning face with his hands. Was this some kind of sign? Did this mean—?

Plagg zipped back like lightning, hiding himself in Adrien’s shirt in the blink of an eye. It was the only warning Adrien had before _Ladybug herself_ jogged in, calling out his name. She looked relieved when she spotted him.

“ _There_ you are! We need to—ah.” Ladybug stared at his bathtub before her eyes whipped to where he was sitting on the steps beside it. She crossed her arms, then uncrossed them, then clasped them behind her back, rocking on her heels. “Hahaha wow sorry you were going to take a bath weren’t you isn’t it so funny we shop at the same store and use the same bath bombs what a weird coincidence it’s so weird right??”

“Weird,” Adrien repeated faintly. His mouth went dry as he tried to shake the sudden, vivid mental image of Ladybug relaxing in a bath, surrounded by candles and rose petals and waiting for _him_. “R-right, yeah, that’s… weird…”

  


* * *

  


**11\. they go on a date together (celebrity auction au)**

Marinette had never, in her entire time as Ladybug, wished she could tell Alya about her double life more than she did now.

But as it was, her best friend was preparing for the date she’d won with Chat Noir, fully intending to turn it into a candid interview, while Marinette… _Ladybug_ …

“Are you okay?” Adrien asked, concerned and oh-so-gorgeous under candlelight.

Because Ladybug signed up for a charity date auction and _Adrien won the date_.

With her.

Adrien dropped a _lot_ of euros to go on a date. With _her_.

Ladybug was on a _date_ with _Adrien_ , was finishing a _fancy dinner_ at Le Grand Paris with _Adrien_ , was going to start _hyperventilating_ soon in front of _Adrien_ oh god _where was Alya she wanted Alya she needed Alya to **HELP. HER.**_

“I’m fine,” Ladybug lied, nodding stiffly at the waiter as he took their empty plates. Adrien eyed her and Ladybug… Ladybug was still doing her best to act like a human being and not the sentient bundle of wrecked nerves she _actually_ was.

The silence wedged itself between them, awkward and tense like it had been all dinner. Adrien finally sighed, one hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry that… this must be boring for you. I… I wanted you to have a good time, at least,” he said quietly. Ladybug felt stunned horror creep up on her as he smiled tightly, because oh no oh _no_ he thought— “We can end the date early, if you—”

“ _ **NO!**_ ”

Adrien jumped, blinking at her with wide eyes. What few people in the restaurant that _weren’t_ trying to sneak peeks at them were outright _staring_ now.

“I-I mean. Um.” Ladybug pulled out the dinner voucher she’d been given by the auction house and _slammed_ it down on the table. “M-movies! We should—go. Right now, immediately.”

Blinking again, Adrien’s eyebrow raised, open-mouthed shock turning into a bemused smile. “Oookay. After you, little lady.”

Ladybug did _not_ squeak at the nickname—but it was a _very_ close thing.

  


* * *

  


**12\. soulmate au**

“It’s a good thing you don’t have any soulmarks on your face,” Tikki once said. “By itself, my magic can’t affect them.”

“There’s always make-up,” Marinette replied practically. It was a huge hassle, but it _was_ a solution.

Still, Marinette was very lucky. With the vast collection of soulmarks she had, it was a small miracle that no one had marked her face or ears. She had a full spectrum of colours all over her body, from her parents, her neighbours, her friends and classmates… in fact, the only two people she knew that she _didn’t_ share a mark with was Chat Noir and… _Adrien_.

With Chat, it made sense. Their costumes covered them almost from head-to-toe. When Chat had guarded her from Evillustrator, Marinette had been careful not to touch his skin, in order to protect his identity. Even when they _kissed_ , there had been a thin film of Dark Cupid’s magic between their lips.

But with Adrien… his father was _overprotective_ and unmarked models were in vogue.

His face was clear and he made sure to keep it that way. He wore gloves, long sleeves, high collars, and full-length pants year-round. Whatever soulmarks Adrien had were photoshopped away in magazines. The only person in school bearing his soulmark was _Chloé_ , who loved showing off the light green circling her pinky and tinting the pads of it.

Marinette _burned_ with jealousy. Only seeing the paler, friendship-tone of Adrien’s soulmark on Chloé kept her from snapping every time.

So when Ladybug saved Adrien’s life, grabbing and swinging him away from falling rubble, she _wasn’t_ careful. When Adrien leaned in to give her a thank-you kiss on the cheek, she _let_ him.

And when Adrien pulled away with _her_ soulmark, his lips stained with a soulmate-vivid, _scandalously_ hot pink, all Ladybug could think was, ‘ _Good_ ’.

  


* * *

  


**13\. photographs (celebrity auction au)**

This was the first time Adrien had travelled over Paris’ rooftops without Plagg’s magic protecting him. His heart beat presto in his chest, but not from fear, no, of course not. Adrien trusted his lady with his _life_. So, he enjoyed the opportunity to circle his arms around her neck, supported by her grip on his waist as she swung them across the city.

They landed on a rooftop overlooking the movie theatre. Adrien reluctantly let go, wary of making Ladybug uncomfortable.

This date wasn’t going _quite_ as well as he planned. As Chat Noir, he could relax with Ladybug. They could flirt and joke and tease each other, their years of partnership solidifying something intimate and easy between them.

But _Adrien Agreste_ didn’t have that relationship with Ladybug, no matter how much he wished otherwise. He was a virtual stranger, one who fought _very_ hard to win a date with one half of Paris’ superhero team.

No wonder dinner was so awkward.

(Still, better him than… than… Adrien had to win the date, he _had_ to!! There was no way he was going to give anyone else the chance to woo _his. lady_.)

“Oh _no_ ,” Ladybug moaned, breaking Adrien’s downward spiral of thoughts. She patted her hips, head twisting left and right as she looked around her. “This _can’t_ be happening!”

“Is something wrong?” Adrien asked. Ladybug froze, before letting out a strangled burst of laughter.

“I, hehe, um, must have left the movie tickets. With. The dinner voucher?”

The expression she had was familiar. It was the same one she wore when she thought she walked in on him in the shower. The first time, anyway.

Adrien must have spent too long suppressing the urge to snicker because Ladybug turned on her heel, yoyo already in hand.

“I'MSOSORRYI'LLGOGETTHEM—” she half-screeched before Adrien grasped her wrist, interrupting the swing of her arm. She whipped her head to first look at his hand, and then at him.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, as calmly as he could. It was a struggle not to drown in the bright pools of her eyes. “The staff have probably thrown them out by now. You’re not going to go rooting through the garbage for them, are you?”

She was silent, but the stubborn set of her mouth told Adrien that his lady just _might_. Adrien didn’t even try to fight his grin.

“You know, there’s nothing good out right now. How about we skip the auction house’s itinerary and go someplace else?” Adrien suggested.

Ladybug fidgeted, and Adrien realized he was still holding her wrist. She wasn’t pulling away. “Where… where would we even go?” Ladybug asked.

She _wasn’t pulling away_. Adrien felt giddy as he adjusted his grip, his hand now supporting hers. He brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss on the back of it, watching her eyes go wide with a fierce satisfaction.

“Lady’s choice.”

  


* * *

  


At the top of the Eiffel Tower, Paris was laid out before them like a photograph. Constellations of streetlights, buildings heavy with history, and the glassy ribbon of the Seine were theirs to enjoy.

But Adrien much preferred the view of his lady sitting beside him, smiling under the night sky and lit gold by the tower beneath, her hand tangled in his.

  


* * *

  


**14\. “i love you. i’m completely and utterly in love with you. please don’t get married.” (fantasy detective noir au)**

It was desperate and stupid and all the things Ladybug swore she wouldn’t be when she accepted Tikki’s deal, so many years ago. She needed all her wits about her to keep the chaos of Paris’ magical underworld to a dull roar.

Still, _still_ , the words hung between them, heavy with the weight of what she was asking of Adrien. Ladybug held onto the back of his sleeve with a white-knuckled grip, terrified that this would be the last time she’d ever see him.

Adrien was silent, mouth slightly parted in shock, his eyes boring into her. All Ladybug wanted to do was pull him down and kiss every doubt he’d ever had into oblivion.

“Chloé doesn’t love you,” Ladybug’s traitorous mouth continued. “Not like I do, and I know you don’t love her that way either. If you need… if you need to marry someone, marry _me_. I love you, I can take care of you, I’ll protect you with my name, just—” Her eyes joined the rebellion against her, spilling tears as her breath hitched. “ _Please_ —I-I don’t want to lose you to anyone less than the love of your life—”

Adrien turned towards her, his hands cupping her cheeks, his thumbs warm as he wiped away her tears. He was as gentle as he had been when they were both children, young and free of contracts with luck spirits.

“You—” Adrien started to say, then stopped, looking at her like he was lost, but enjoying it. “You— _you_ —how could you _ever_ —”

He leaned down, his lips ghosting over hers, and it was the shock Ladybug needed to rush forward, crushing them together. Adrien’s arms dropped to wrap around her, holding her close as they kissed. Her gloved fingers dug into his scalp, making him gasp, and Ladybug took the invitation of his open mouth, tried to press into him all the love and fear and _need_ she felt this last, insane week.

She knew Adrien would be trouble from the moment he walked into her office. But Ladybug would take the case all over again because reuniting with Adrien, having him like _this_ , was damn well _worth it_.

  


* * *

  


**15\. the one time ladybug _actually_ catches adrien in the shower (auteur au)**

Ladybug was worried about Adrien. Auteur was an akuma almost as tricky as Volpina and she still wasn’t quite sure what Auteur had done to him.

“ _I’m_ sure it would be called _child abuse_ , if there was any country that still enforced laws involving magic,“ Adrien called out nonsensically from the shower.

Her worry swamped her sense of propriety and Ladybug slid the bathroom door open. “I’m coming in!”

“Yeah, okay, but it’s probably not gonna be what you expect.”

It wasn’t.

Adrien was standing in his shower, fully clothed and soaking wet, scrubbing his hair with shampoo. Ladybug gaped.

“Told you,” Adrien said, grinning as he rinsed his hair under the spray. “The animators spent my clothing budget on my modelling photos. If I don’t even have pyjamas, they _definitely_ don’t have the money to render me naked.”

Ladybug’s mouth snapped shut. She tried not to blush at the way Adrien’s shirt clung to his chest, instead focusing on the fact that Adrien had apparently gone _insane_.

“Can’t deny that. Even if the Auteur _didn’t_ want me to be Deadpool levels of meta for this ficlet, I’d still be crazy in love with _you_.” Adrien winked, and Ladybug… Ladybug sat down on the bathtub steps. Her legs wouldn’t hold her up anymore.

Adrien… loved her?

“Why is that a surprise?” Adrien asked. He turned off the spray and grabbed the towel he’d draped over the edge of the bathtub. He sat next to her, his denim-clad leg brushing her armoured one as he dried his hair. Her heartbeat sped up as he smiled fondly at her. “Your low self-confidence might be blinding you to it, but you’re very lovable, Marinette.”

Ladybug stared at him, confused and overwhelmed. This was _way_ too much at once. “H-how— _what_ —?”

Adrien shrugged, resting his chin on his hand as he grinned up at her. “It’s what happens when you break the fourth wall and become aware of the narrative. The love square is pretty much the entire basis of our show, after all.” He caught the fear creeping up on Ladybug’s face and took her hand in his. “Hey, hey, none of that. Hawk Moth can’t hear us and I’m gonna forget everything when you defeat the akuma, remember? Canon is very consistent about the effects of any sort of mind-altering magic. I’d talk about how it ties into the themes of consent, but the Auteur has gone over three hundred words _again_ and, while she found this fun, we really need to wrap this up and defeat her.”

Ladybug only understood half of what Adrien said, but… “You know how to beat Auteur?”

“Yup, it’s easy. This is a Ladrien fic and our dear Auteur is not much for angst. The best way to end this is with a _romantic gesture~_ ” He waggled his eyebrows and Ladybug snorted, too surprised by how silly he looked as he kissed the knuckles of her hand.

  


* * *

  


**16\. ACTUALLY in the shower (auteur au)**

When Adrien came to, he was in his bathroom with a woman he didn’t recognize and _Ladybug_.

He checked his phone and, yup, he was missing an hour. The akuma must have gotten to him before he even had a chance to transform into Chat Noir. _Great_.

Hoping he hadn’t hurt anyone under the akuma’s influence, he watched Ladybug hand a phone back to the woman. Probably the akuma’s victim. The woman was a tourist too, judging by the English she and Ladybug were speaking to each other.

…Maybe Adrien should start learning it after he was done with his LSF lessons.

“Um, A-Adrien?”

Adrien’s attention snapped to Ladybug. “Yeah?”

“I-I need to talk—” Her earrings beeped, and Ladybug winced. “Ah, uh. I… explained what happened, with the akuma, so can you walk Dora to the nearest Métro station? She can find her way from there.”

“Of course,” Adrien agreed, always eager to help his lady.

Ladybug didn’t move. She didn’t look him in the eye, either. “I, um, I… want to talk to you. After. So, can I… meet you here—?”

“ _YES!_ ”

Ladybug and the woman—Dora?—both started, and Adrien felt heat creep up his face. He didn’t know where Plagg was, but he could almost _hear_ his kwami cackling.

  


* * *

  


Adrien rushed back to his room, heart pounding in his chest, and slammed the door shut. Ladybug was coming back _here_ , and there was Plagg, laughing at his panic.

“She’s waiting in the shower,” Plagg said slyly, before ducking into his overshirt. Adrien stared at his bathroom door, frozen.

Ladybug was… in the shower.

His _shower_.

Gulping, Adrien lifted his shaking hand and slid his bathroom door open. “I… I’m coming in!” he squeaked.

There was no sound of falling water. Ladybug stuck her head out when he entered, before walking through the inner doorway. She was dry and still in costume, because of _course_ she had been only waiting for him, like she said.

In the shower area.

_Dammit, Plagg_.

“H-hello,” Ladybug said, waving at him as she walked forward, stopping just within arm’s reach. Adrien resisted the urge to pull her in closer and rubbed the back of his neck. He needed to calm down.

“Hello.” _Say something more interesting!_ “S-so, um, you said you wanted to talk…?”

Ladybug clasped her hands in front of her, biting her lip in thought, before she let go, balling them up at her sides. When she looked up, the determination in her eyes pierced through Adrien like it always did, leaving him awed and pinned in place.

“I can’t be with anyone as Ladybug,” she said, and Adrien’s stomach dropped. “It doesn’t matter how much you like me or how much I… i-it’s too dangerous. For both of us. For your family.”

_What did the akuma make him **DO**???_ “Wait—!”

She leaned up, kissing him on his cheek. He forgot everything, _everything_ , but the soft press of his lady’s lips, her warm breath ghosting across his skin.

All too soon, it was over, and she was gone, leaving Adrien with the wreckage of his mind and her parting, cryptic words.

“Thank you, Adrien. But… please give up on Ladybug. I don’t want to give up on _you_.”

  


* * *

  


**17\. “of all the people i could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with and it just had to be you.”**

Marinette uttered the words without thinking. In the corner of her eye, she could see Adrien flinch, tearing his eyes away from the spiral of fire heading down the elevator shaft.

He looked surprised and… _hurt_.

Marinette bit her lip. She could understand why Adrien would feel that way. After being stuck together in the glass elevator of the Eiffel Tower for almost an hour, he’d opened up to her, like he did on the day she fell for him. Adrien told her about his childhood, his mother… he trusted her with his precious memories.

Right now, Marinette must seem like she _hated_ him. And she didn’t have time to explain to him that the exact opposite was true.

Marinette loved Adrien and hated _herself_.

Because a fire-based akuma appeared without warning and put her in this no-win situation. Because there was only one way she could get them out of this alive.

Marinette opened her purse, her kwami peering up at her from the depths.

Because she was about to save Adrien… only to put him in even _more_ danger in the future.

She wished it was _anyone_ but _him_.

“Tikki!” she shouted, unable to stop her self-conscious blush as Adrien _stared_ at her. “Spots on!”

Marinette heard Adrien’s shocked “ _What?!_ ” as she transformed into Ladybug.

She didn’t have the luxury of gauging his reaction. Ladybug wasted no time scooping Adrien up into her arms. He yelped, his hands instinctively circling around her neck, and she ran at the elevator wall. Jumping into a flying kick, she broke through the glass with her suit-enhanced strength.

Shards rained down as Ladybug landed on one of the iron beams, crouching as fire flared out above them. A few seconds longer and they would have been _toast_.

Ladybug glanced up, wanting to ask Adrien if he was okay, but the words died in her throat.

Adrien’s green eyes glowed in the light of the akuma’s fire, impossibly wide and beautiful. There was a thin scratch on his flushed cheeks and his hair was a windswept mess. His lips, so close ( _too close_ ), slowly spread into a wild grin.

“ _It’s you_ ,” he breathed. Ladybug had never heard two words spoken with that much _awe_ , that much _admiration_ , that much raw and unfiltered _joy_.

She could really, _really_ get used to it.

  


* * *

  


**18\. mirror (gold and silver au)**

Knocking on his bathroom door, Adrien asked, “Can I come in?”

“Go ahead,” was his lady’s muffled reply. He slid the door open, taking a moment to enjoy the lovely view.

Ladybug stood in front of the sink farthest from the door, rinsing her toothbrush and placing it in its travel case. Her loose hair brushed her shoulders, clad in the striped shirt Adrien had worn for ages and finally outgrown.

“See something you like?” Ladybug teased, bluebell eyes bright behind her replica domino mask. Her fingers brushed the bottom edge of the shirt she’d claimed, drawing Adrien’s attention to her bare thighs underneath.

“Yeah,” he said faintly, and Ladybug’s smirk softened into a smile, warm and loving and everything Adrien pictured when he thought of the word ‘home’.

“Come here,” she said.

Adrien walked closer and pulled her into a hug from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. In the bathroom mirror, he could see the way they fit together, blond hair mingling with black, Ladybug’s naked hands resting over his.

He turned his head to press a kiss to her neck, watched her lips part as he sucked and licked and nipped, her skin growing flushed and hot. Satisfied with the mark he left, Adrien nosed his way up until his mouth was level with her ear.

“You know what I regret most about the blindfold?” Adrien murmured, sliding a hand underneath her shirt. The hem caught on his arm, drawing up to expose the dark patch of curls between her legs, the smooth expanse of her stomach.

Ladybug arched into his hand as he cupped the swell of her breast, gasping out a “What?” as his other hand reached down. Adrien kissed her temple as he stroked her, saw her put her hands on the counter to try and steady herself. But her trembling and her quiet moan told him it wouldn’t work. Adrien followed the bend of her back with his bare chest, shifted his hips to meet hers.

His erection had been hidden in his sweatpants and, now, he could _see_ Ladybug’s reaction to it: the biting of her lip, the rising blush in her face, the way her eyes caught his in the mirror and wouldn’t let go. Every visual cue of how much she wanted him, how much she was enjoying this, was driving him _insane_.

“ _Adrien_ —”

“I never got to see it, when I made you come,” he said in a rush, heart thrumming in his ears. “I wanted to—so bad—”

Ladybug straightened out, forcing him to do the same. Her hands were over his again, silently urging Adrien to touch her more, press harder, deeper, _fuck_ —

She lifted the hand that was still on her chest, ignoring his protesting whine as she picked out his index and middle fingers, folding over the rest.

“Then _watch_ ,” Ladybug said, before she sucked them into her mouth.

  


* * *

  


**19\. another shower scene (gold and silver au)**

Ladybug broke their kiss, barely able to stand straight as she came hard and fast. Her fingers slipped against Adrien’s slick back as she tried to dig them in, tried to muffle her gasping cries against his shoulder, not wanting them to echo in the generous space of his bathroom.

But Adrien—her wonderful, amazing, _exasperating_ Adrien—had other plans.

The arm around Ladybug’s waist held fast, holding her up as his lips attached themselves to her neck. His free hand worked relentlessly against her clit, leaving her a wet, mewling mess against him. And when Ladybug finally gathered enough of her wits to grab his wrist and pull his hand away, to look blearily up at him through the spray of running water, Adrien had the audacity to _grin_.

“It’s just us here today, remember?” he said cheekily. The sight of him, drenched and naked and _leering_ at her with hooded peridot eyes, sent another shiver though Ladybug. “I want to make you _scream_.”

Oh.

_Oh_.

This meant _war_.

Ladybug reached for his cock and ran the familiar, stiff weight of it through her grip. She was smug as she watched Adrien’s grin quickly drop, his lips parting in a soft gasp.

“Hmm, first you’ll have to be able to hear me over _yourself_ ,” she teased. Ladybug’s gaze darted around the room as she planned a devastating attack on her boyfriend. She was still sensitive, and they left all the condoms in his room, so… aha!

Adjusting the ribbon tying her mask to her face, Ladybug let go of Adrien to reach for the bottle of body wash he’d left in the corner. His expression of aroused befuddlement when she popped the lid, squirted some on her hand, and rubbed it on the inside of her thighs, was _priceless_.

“Hurry, before it washes off,” Ladybug said, quickly grabbing his arms as she turned around. She guided Adrien’s hands to her hips, nervously trying to pull him closer, and smiled with relief when he plastered himself against her back. “Now, you’re supposed to put your cock between my thighs.”

Silence. And then, “… _Why?_ ”

Ladybug pulled her wet hair to one side, peering back at Adrien with a smirk. “Because that’s how I’m going to give you your first thighjob, handsome. If you’re still up to trying it, of course.”

“Ah,” Adrien said, blinking once before his blush went from pink to ladybug red. “R-right. We, um. Yeah. Yes. I-I’ll, uh—”

He crouched, just enough to line up his cock with the gap between her thighs, and Ladybug braced herself against the bathroom wall. She felt his heat as he slid his cock against her skin, saw Adrien close his eyes with a pleased sigh as his hips pressed forward.

“How does it feel?” Ladybug asked when he stopped, glancing down. The pink head of his cock was peeking out from the top of her thighs. It looked both silly and _weirdly_ hot.

Adrien nuzzled the exposed part of her neck, squeezing her hips before running one hand up her side. “Mmmm, good. But you always make me feel good, Ladybug.”

“Then _move_ already,” she said, feeling flustered by the sincerity behind his words. The burn in her face grew worse as he slowly pulled his hips back, rubbing his shaft against her slit, and it felt— _oh_ —

Adrien slid back in as he kissed behind her ear, his hand moving up to squeeze her breast. Moaning at the same time as him, Ladybug realized that she _might_ be getting more out of this little experiment than she first thought.

  


* * *

  


**20\. porn**

You’ve been through worse things in life. You lost your tongue escaping the Mafiya. Madame Ko banned you from her Personal Protection Academy for not being willing to die in the line of duty. Your cushy retirement job—working security for an overprotective fashion mogul—turned _complicated_ when magical attacks on Paris became the norm and your principal was secretly one of the only people who could stop them.

You’ve been through worse, you tell yourself as you review the exterior camera feeds and catch Ladybug sneaking into the mansion through your principal’s room. You’ve been through worse, you insist when your principal runs up to her and greets her with an enthusiastic kiss.

You give up when your principal lifts Ladybug up and presses her against his exposed windows. You turn off the screen—like _hell_ you’re going to watch child porn—and busy yourself with wiping the data from yesterday’s feed, replacing it with footage from an earlier, uneventful night.

You and your principal need to have a _chat_.

  


* * *

  


Adrien Agreste, the only child of your employer, is… adequate, as principals go. He is respectful and obedient. You eventually stopped following him when he indulged in his rebellious fits and ‘lost’ you, because all he ever did was go watch movies or visit museums.

You _could_ have gone to your employer when you realized your principal was Chat Noir. But, frankly… you weren’t paid enough to deal with this magic bullshit.

Or adolescent love affairs.

“What are you doing?” your principal asks when you climb a ladder and adjust the exterior cameras’ sightlines.

You sign to him that you’re checking and fixing the cameras, because you keep seeing flashes of red on the feed. He blushes and fumbles with his words. You refrain from rolling your eyes.

  


* * *

  


**21\. away from home**

“Are you related to Felix?” Ladybug blurted out.

The boy looked up from straightening his clothes. His eyebrows, darker than the fluff of blond hair on his head, flew into his fringe.

“ _Who?_ ” he asked. His expression straddled the line between curious and dismayed.

“You, uh, you look like him…” Embarrassed, Ladybug went back to tying the rope. “Felix Agreste. You know, the biggest shareholder of Gabriel?”

There. The knot was tighter than she meant it to be, but the mugger would stay put, even if he woke up. The police would swing by _eventually_.

And, hopefully, this boy she saved would forget that she mentioned one of her biggest weaknesses. If Le Papillon went after him or _Felix_ … all because of Ladybug’s loose lips…

Mylène already lost her father to Le Papillon. And Ladybug _promised_ her no one else would get taken under his wing.

Not on her watch.

The boy shifted, startling Ladybug out of her thoughts. He rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture both bashful and cute. He was what she imagined a younger Felix might have been like.

“Kinda?” the boy said. “I’m _Adrien_ Agreste, not Felix. I don’t own… um. We—met already. When you fought Jackady?”

Ladybug would have recalled seeing Felix’s smaller, more adorable clone earlier. “No…?”

Something complicated swept through Adrien’s eyes. He let out a strained chuckle.

“Of course you don’t… remember…” His brow furrowed, mouth falling open as he stared behind her. “Me?”

Ladybug looked over her shoulder. There was a billboard advertising Le Point’s latest cover story—an exclusive interview with Felix.

She bit back a dreamy sigh. _God_ , did she love that photo of him. Felix looked like an actual _supermodel_ in it.

“ _Switch_over,” Adrien suddenly groaned. “Of _course_ —oh, this is bad, _really_ bad.”

  


* * *

  


**22\. “you have mom’s smile.” he said this to ladybug once, but he thinks it again and again and again. but ladybug is better: she is real.**

When Adrien was homeschooled, he had very little to do. He studied. He played video games. He modelled. He messed around online. Rarely, his father would allow Chloé to visit.

Adrien was climbing the walls out of sheer frustration. Figuratively _and_ literally.

It was easy to spend hours looking at old photos, picking at the edges of the gaping hole his mother left behind.

  


* * *

  


Adrien meets the girl who becomes Ladybug when he is still the boy who would become Chat Noir. They’re swinging upside down, wrapped up in her yoyo string ( _a string of fate_ , Adrien insists a week later, much to Plagg’s disgust).

Her relieved smile as she apologizes is cute. Adrien beams back, happy to meet someone new.

  


* * *

  


When Adrien is fully Chat Noir, manages to pull Ladybug out of her spiral of self-doubt and get her to _trust him_ … she smiles.

His heart stumbles at the sight. He doesn’t have time to realize _why_ until she tears apart Hawk Moth’s threats, lands on the Eiffel Tower, and swears to help protect the people of Paris.

  


* * *

  


Two weeks pass into his new life of public school and superheroics. Adrien is in bed, half-asleep, when something occurs to him.

He hasn’t thought of his mother today.

Adrien quickly sits up, wide awake.

Not _once_ did he remember his mother.

Shaken, Adrien spends the night choosing the perfect photo of her for his desktop.

  


* * *

  


When Ladybug smiles because of him—his ideas, their banter, his puns, their job well done—she’s _there_. Her smile feels like coming _home_.

Adrien can’t do anything but fall even _more_ hopelessly in love.

  


* * *

  


He loves his mother. He loves his lady. To him, they have the same smile.

But Adrien guiltily thinks Ladybug is better—she’s _real_.

  


* * *

  


**23\. calling bullshit**

“You have your book, _I_ don’t wanna lose Adrien,” Marinette said, handing Adrien’s book to Tikki. Her friend struggled with the weight, but—"It’s time to act! Tikki, trans—!“

“WAIT!”

Tikki tossed the book back at her. Marinette caught it with minimal fumbling, blinking as Tikki flew up to her and pointed to the book.

“First, you’re going to put that in your bag,” Tikki said. She crossed her stubby arms, mouth set in a serious frown. “We absolutely _cannot_ risk losing it or having it fall into the wrong hands.”

“Okay?” Marinette slung her backpack off her shoulder, quickly stuffing the book inside and zipping it up. “ _There!_ Now, Tikki—!”

“—is going to ask if you have a plan? Because if you’re just going to go off the handle like you _always_ do when Adrien is involved…”

“Um.” That was. A good point. “Well…?”

Tikki sighed.

  


* * *

  


Ladybug bit the inside of her cheek as she swung down and landed in front of the park bench. Adrien and Lila looked _awfully_ cozy on it—

_**Don’t lose your cool. I mean it, Marinette. Stay. Calm.** _

Remembering Tikki’s advice, Ladybug plastered a polite smile on her face.

“H-hey Adrien!” she said with forced cheer. “I didn’t expect to see _you_ while I was out on patrol. How have you been?”

“I-I’m fine! Better than, um.” Adrien hastily stood up, putting space between himself and an open-mouthed Lila. _Good_. “I w-wanted to thank you for saving my father. And me. So, uh… thanks.”

He looked so _cute_ , blushing and fiddling with the strap of his bag—

_**Do NOT get distracted by Adrien.** _

Tikki knew her too well.

“You’re welcome,” Ladybug managed to say. “But I couldn’t have done it without Chat Noir. You should thank him too.”

Adrien looked at her, a smile creeping up on his red face. He let out a soft, “ _Yeah_ …”

His eyes were like sun-dappled leaves, bright and oh-so-dreamy—

_**Marinette. Do. NOT.** _

Ladybug, with a strength she did not know she had, tore her gaze away from her Adrien. It landed on Lila, startling her. Ladybug’s smile was a tad too predatory to be _nice_.

“Oh, and who’s this, Adrien?” Ladybug rested her hand on her cocked hip, making a show of looking Lila up and down. “Your… girlfriend?”

_Say no, say no, say no, say no_ —

“NO!” Adrien slid between her and Lila, furiously shaking his head and hands, and Ladybug stopped herself from doing a victory dance. “No, no, _no_ , she’s a friend, we’re just friends, she's—wait.” He turned to look behind him. “Lila, didn’t you say you were close with Ladybug?”

Lila looked pale as she half-hid behind her curled hands. She got up shakily from the bench. “I… I have to go,” she said before running off.

Ladybug watched her leave with a vicious glee that Tikki would probably scold her for. She readied her yoyo, still riding the high of their plan going off without a hitch. “Well, _that_ was strange, but I need to get going too. See you around, hot stuff~”

The second those unbelievable words left her mouth, Ladybug froze.

Adrien’s head whipped around to face her. “H-h- _hot_ —?!”

“GOTTAGO,” she yelled before frantically swinging away.

_**Don’t get carried away, Marinette.** _

If only she recalled Tikki’s words _sooner_. Then, Ladybug wouldn’t have to find a hole to crawl into and _die_.

  


* * *

  


**24\. under the covers (gold and silver au)**

It wasn’t like she’d never slept over at Adrien’s before. She’d fallen asleep a few times while they watched movies, played games, or stayed up talking.

But it was different, when it was on purpose. When there was only a blindfold standing in the way of Adrien knowing she was Marinette.

“Ladybug.” His voice shook, in a quiet way that Marinette recognized. That same shakiness rocked through her as Adrien squeezed her bare hand, no armour between them. “Ladybug, if… if this makes you uncomfortable, we can stop. You can call Tikki back and transform again.”

Marinette could. Her friend was incredibly patient, willing to put up with a sleepless night as her magic worked to protect Ladybug’s identity. But…

“No,” said Marinette, firmly. “It wouldn’t be fair to her. And…” She moved her hand so she could lace their fingers together, squeezing back. “I want this. I want it to be just _us_.”

Adrien’s throat bobbed as he gulped. “A-are you sure?”

In the back of her head, there was a looping reel of all the ways this could go wrong. The blindfold could fall off. She might kick him in her sleep. Marinette didn’t know if she snored.

But, lying next to Adrien on his bed, watching his blush peek out from under his blindfold, with him just as nervous as her… it brought her anxieties into perspective.

Even if all that happened, Adrien would still stay. He was kind and sweet, awkward and dorky, with a mischievous streak she hadn’t noticed at first. He loved her, kept loving her even as they spent so much time together, and Marinette loved him even more for it.

“Yes. I trust you,” she said. “Besides, we’re only sleeping together, right?”

Adrien’s head shifted on his pillow, lips pursed as he tried to contain what sounded like a choke. Mortified, Marinette pulled the covers over her head.

“Th- _that’s not what I meant!_ ” she half-screeched, trying to pull her hand away. Adrien followed tug of it, enveloping her in a hug as he snickered. “Adrien, _please_.”

“I know, I know, you’re just so cute,” he said, grinning against her neck.

The tension between them was buried again, thanks to Marinette sticking her foot in her mouth. And she thought she cured herself of doing that around Adrien. She sighed and adjusted her clothes, wary of the way her shirt was riding up.

“Sooooo, Ladybug… are you a big spoon or a little spoon?” he asked, cheeky enough that Marinette rolled her eyes. Honestly, why were all the blond boys she knew so _silly?_

  


* * *

  


**25\. eyelashes**

“Adrien?”

The first thing that came into focus was Ladybug.

She seemed worried. That changed the longer Adrien looked at her. The world moved in slow motion as she blinked, eyelashes brushing against her cheeks. Whatever tension she carried melted away as she sighed in relief. Ladybug leaned in, the corners of her lips turned up into a warm smile, her gloved hands cool where they cupped his cheeks.

His lady was _happy_ to see him. And all Adrien wanted to do was taste her happiness. He itched to trace the curve of her smile with his lips, to feel her sigh against his skin.

Adrien reached for her. For one glorious moment, he had Ladybug exactly how he’d dreamed: blue eyes hooded and wanting, face tilted up to accept his kiss.

But then her eyes went wide. She pulled away, leaving Adrien without her touch. Why…?

Confusion forced him to pay more attention, the sweep of his gaze catching Nino’s. His friend was standing behind Ladybug, one eyebrow raised in question. Because… because…

Adrien straightened up, his foggy daze burning off in the heat of his embarrassment

He tried to kiss Ladybug. In front of _Nino_.

Where was Hawk Moth when Adrien actually _needed_ someone to put him out of his misery?

“L… looks like the ahhhhh— _the akuma’s magic is gone!_ ” said Ladybug. Her words were muffled by her hands covering her mouth.

“Y-yeah,” Adrien replied. He rubbed the back of his head, ricocheting between panic and bliss.

Ladybug was worried about him! _But he probably weirded her out oh god_. She checked up on him personally! _But Nino saw everything and he_ definitely _wouldn’t let this go OH GOD_.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” said Ladybug, softly.

Adrien decided _melting from joy_ was the correct way to go.

  


* * *

  


**26\. mega nachos**

Marinette could almost _hear_ the enraged sputters of Adrien’s nutritionist as he picked up another gooey, topping-heavy tortilla chip. Already, the plate of mega-sized nachos was half-gone, tucked away in what Marinette was beginning to suspect was a miniature black hole hidden in Adrien’s stomach.

He took a large bite and, just like last night, his nose wiggled as he chewed.

Marinette, just like last night, thought it was too adorable for words.

Adrien swallowed and continued, “She came in through my window a few minutes before Eurovision started. And she brought food for both of us! From Quick!” He sighed as he rested his head on his hand, gaze dreamy as he picked up another chip. “I can’t believe I got to share my first Quick burger with _Ladybug_.”

If Adrien kept talking about her in _that_ tone of voice, Marinette would end up _rolling_ him to their next date.

“Did you know she likes to dip her fries in ketchup _and_ mayo?” Adrien gushed, oblivious to how close his chip’s toppings were to falling.

“R-really?” Marinette replied, trying to control her blush. “Yes, really! I didn’t even _know_ you could— _whoops!_ ”

As Adrien rushed to clean his spilled nacho, Marinette took a sip of her soda to calm herself.

When she learned that Adrien was _in love_ with Ladybug, she had a choice. She could keep trying to win Adrien’s affections as Marinette… or she could offer to wingman for Adrien and set him up with Ladybug.

While Marinette was _thrilled_ with the results of option B, she hadn’t predicted some of the consequences.

“ _Wait_ , let me show you some photos from our date,” Adrien said excitedly. “Look—isn’t she _wonderful?_ ”

Marinette choked.

On his phone screen was Ladybug, burger-in-hand, frozen in the middle of an enormous bite.

  


* * *

  


**27\. “i heard that the spots on your bodysuit corresponds to chakra points? so… what happens if i touch _this_?” (gold and silver au)**

Ladybug giggled and then gathered herself, mock glaring. “Stop that, nothing’s going to happen.”

Adrien grinned before poking her again.

“Okay, _that does it!_ ”

Ladybug lunged for him. Adrien dodged by jumping over the back of his couch, laughing as he shot for the two parkour ramps next to his bed.

He ran up the one in the corner, leaping for the top before his momentum slowed. Adrien could hear Ladybug catching up as he scrambled over the edge and onto the second floor platform.

Turning to look down, he saw Ladybug at the foot of the ramp. Knowing he had less than a second, Adrien reached for the handle of his zipline and pushed off.

Ladybug’s fingers brushed his sneakers as he rode past, hanging from the pulley. Adrien turned around to blow her a kiss, enjoying the look of outrage on her face.

It quickly turned into determination as she pulled herself up to the second floor and ran after him, following his descent.

Adrien didn’t bother landing properly. Using the speed he built up, he swung off the zipline—and onto the firepole at the other end of his room.

Waving as he slid down, Adrien smirked at Ladybug’s growl of frustration. He hit the ground running, aiming for the climbing wall next to the smallest parkour ramp.

He was almost clear of the couch again when something heavy landed on his back.

“Caught you~” Ladybug drawled before mercilessly attacking his sides. Adrien shrieked, trying to fend off her hands, but it was hard when he was lying on his front.

“I give! You win!” Adrien finally gasped.

Ladybug, always gracious in victory, let him sit up before crawling right back into his lap.

“Where’d you hear that rumour anyway?” she asked.

“Someone online named HawkMothStoleMySharingan.”

“… Ah.”

  


* * *

  


**28\. cute nose/forehead kisses (gold and silver au)**

“ _It’s not funny!_ ”

“It’s a little funny,” Ladybug said, trying not to laugh as her boyfriend paced in front of his computer desk. She leaned back in the swivel chair, thoroughly amused. “Besides, everything turned out okay, right? The photographer let you wear a t-shirt _and_ an overshirt.”

“Only because Father doesn’t want to parade me half-naked in front of the _entire world!_ ” Adrien paused and shook his head, sighing. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but…”

“Nothing at all,” she agreed. Ladybug found it all too easy to imagine Adrien in a more… _conventional_ swimsuit photo. Shirtless and lounging on a beach towel… water—or sand, maybe—clinging to his sun-kissed skin… _mmmm_ …

Adrien flopped face-first onto his bed. Grabbing a pillow, he wedged it under his face and started screaming.

Smothering another laugh, Ladybug decided to take pity. She got up and went to lie down beside him, ruffling his hair.

Adrien turned to face her. She kissed his pouting lips, giggling against them when he pouted even _harder_.

“I wish you’d take this seriously,” he grumbled. “I actually _do_ want to go to the beach this summer.”

“I _am_ ,” said Ladybug. She kissed him again, on his scrunched up nose and on his furrowed brow. Adrien could be so _dramatic_ sometimes. “If you want me to stop leaving marks, I will. But…”

Adrien’s eyes narrowed. “But…?”

Ladybug reached under his collar and gently pushed it aside, exposing the love bites she’d left behind. Pulling Adrien towards her by his nape, she kissed the bruise at the base of his neck, humming as he shivered against her.

“It’s a shame, that’s all,” Ladybug said, mildly. She kissed another mark. “This is a good look for you.”

“ _Well_ ,” Adrien squeaked. Coughed. “I-I mean, I’m sure we can… arrange. Something.”

  


* * *

  


**29\. their first time (gold and silver au)**

Hearing the crinkle of the condom packet drove home the fact that _they were actually going to have sex_.

“Do you need any help?” Adrien found himself asking.

Why. Why did he say that. He knew _nothing_ practical about condoms. Even now, Adrien still hadn’t seen one in real life, thanks to Nathalie’s reliance on educational videos, and now the blindfold.

Ladybug shifted where she straddled his thighs. “N-no, I got it. I know how to put it on, I read everything I could and I practised at home—”

“You _practised?_ ” Adrien repeated. He rubbed his hands over her bent knees, unable to stop the grin spreading across his face. “With what?”

“… A cucumber.”

“Oh,” he said. And then, because he _had_ to, “What a pickle.”

“ _Adrien!_ ” Ladybug hissed. Adrien pressed his head back into the pillow, trying not to laugh too loudly as she huffed at him.

The feeling of cool latex on the tip of his cock shut him up quick. Ladybug rolled the rest of the condom down his shaft, keeping one hand near the head.

It was… different. Clinical, because it was like someone putting on a medical glove for him.

But it was also his lady’s fingers running over him, once again stoking the simmering heat in his body to a full blaze.

“Is… is this okay?” asked Ladybug. Her voice was low, but Adrien could hear the concern, the tremor in her words.

Of _course_ she was nervous. Who wouldn’t be?

Adrien sat up, taking her hands and pressing the knuckles against his lips. It didn’t slow the frantic beat of his heart, but he hoped it would soothe her, if only a little.

“Ladybug, if you’re okay with doing this, then it’s _more_ than okay with me,” he said, sincerely. “But if you’re not, we can stop—”

“Um, no, I-I meant… does the… condom… fit…”

Adrien bit the inside of his cheek. “Ah.”

“Like, is it too tight? Or… or too loose?” Ladybug’s hands squeezed his. “I brought a lot of sizes because I wasn’t sure, I’m sorry—”

“It’s fine,” he assured her. “It feels fine. I think you got it right the first time.”

“Lucky for us,” she sighed. And then, “ _Adrien Agreste, you wipe that smirk off your face this instant or so help me_ —”

  


* * *

  


**30\. happiness (gold and silver au)**

“Ready?”

Adrien wrapped his arms around Ladybug’s neck, a warm and heavy weight on her shoulders. He leaned his head against hers, smiling with so much affection that it made Ladybug’s heart quiver to remember it was finally, _finally_ aimed at her.

“Whenever you are,” he said.

Ladybug clenched her jaw as she hooked one arm around his waist, reaching for her yoyo with her free hand. She could handle being this close to Adrien, she _could_.

With a flick of her wrist and a tug, they both went flying out his bedroom window. Ladybug shifted their weight so they swung up and over, bringing them to the roof of Adrien’s home.

They landed on what looked like a patio, with a metal railing and a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug nodded faintly, dumbstruck.

“This is perfect,” she breathed.

Adrien hummed in agreement before moving his hands to cup her face. She froze, eyes darting to his.

The summer night went from pleasantly warm to uncomfortably hot as Adrien ran a thumb along the edge of her mask.

“I can think of better,” he said, more murmur than actual words. Ladybug stared up at him, clinging to his waist like a lifeline.

_Adrien_ was saying this to her. One of the kindest people she’d ever met. Always catching her when she stumbled, always encouraging her when she felt down. Someone loyal and supportive, who did his best and owned up to his mistakes.

This amazing, wonderful boy was saying this about her. While looking at her like she was everything he could ever want.

Ladybug was so full with happiness, she could _explode_ —

A thunderous boom made them jump apart. Ladybug quickly faced the Eiffel Tower, barely catching a glimpse of the dying firework before stifling a laugh.

  


* * *

  


**31\. “i need you to pretend we’re dating…” (miraculous moves au)**

Adrien swallowed, mouth dry as Ladybug leaned towards him. “Why?” he rasped.

“I’ve never been to this club before, and there are more sleazeballs here than I expected,” she said. The way Ladybug cocked her hips as she spoke did _nothing_ to dampen the sudden anger that rushed through Adrien.

“Did they hurt you?” he asked. Practically _growled_. Ladybug’s eyebrows shot up, obviously taken aback. Damn, he didn’t insult her… did he? “N-not that I think you can’t take care of yourself, um—”

Ladybug clapped a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking. Adrien fell silent, his panic slowly melting away when he heard the first snort that escaped her.

Adrien loved the way Ladybug lit up when she laughed.

“No, but thanks for worrying about me,” she said, smiling so sweetly at him that Adrien felt like _soaring_. “I just thought if I hung out with a nice guy like you, there’s less of a chance of me getting kicked out for decking them.”

_That_ sounded like the Ladybug he knew. Feeling more confident, he dropped his hand next to hers on the bar table, bringing himself close enough that their noses almost brushed.

“How do you know I’m nice?” asked Adrien. His gaze slid from her wide blue eyes, surrounded by red face paint, down to her parted lips. “I could be… bad.”

_God_ , he wanted to kiss her.

Adrien watched Ladybug take in a shuddering breath. She turned away, lifting her hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He rocked back on his heels, disappointed but giving her the space she wanted.

“I… I had a hunch,” said Ladybug. “Normally, I’d ask my dance partner for help, but I could only find DJ Copycat over there.”

Confused, Adrien followed the direction her thumb was pointing to and found that… _shit, the DJ was dressed like **Chat Noir** , what the actual **hell**_.

Torn between outrage that someone stole his signature look and joy that Ladybug wasn’t fooled by his copycat, Adrien almost missed the hand she held out for him.

“This is one of my favourite songs,” she told him. “So, uh, d-do you want to dance?”

Adrien only let himself be stunned for a second ( _an eternity_ ) before he eagerly reached out, clasping her warm hand with his.

  


* * *

  


**32\. “is there anything you’re _not_ good at?”**

Ladybug blinked. Blinked again.

Her bewildered gaze left the hand resting on the wall—right next to her ear—to follow the length of the arm, go over the shoulder, up the neck, before finally landing on the face.

Adrien Agreste’s face.

The love of her life. The boy of her dreams.

_That_ Adrien.

The same Adrien who was practically _trapping her against a wall_ and _saying_ things like that to her with such an _admiring tone oh no oh god_.

“W-what?” said Ladybug.

She immediately pursed her lips, grinding her teeth behind them because _why_ did she always sound like an _idiot_ around him?!

Adrien didn’t seem to mind, because he just leaned in closer, trailing his other hand up her arm _holy shit_.

“Oh, don’t be _modest_ ,” he purred. Freaking. _Purred_. “You’re brave, smart, capable, and oh so _kind_ …”

His fingers arrived at her jaw, tracing along the line of it. Ladybug shivered as he reached back to gently grip the hair at her nape, tilting her head upwards. Adrien’s green eyes bore into hers with an intensity she’d never seen in him before.

“… Not to mention absolutely _stunning_.”

She was going. To _faint_.

“I-I—um—you—did you…” _Spit it out!!_ “You called me. Here. Because. Uh?”

Now his other hand was _cupping her face_ , oh crap, oh god, she was _doomed_.

“I needed you, Ladybug,” he said, his voice slipping around Ladybug’s thoughts like silk thread, tangling them up even further. Adrien bent down slowly, closing in as his thumb touched the corner of her lips. “I need you just… like… this…”

Adrien was going to kiss her.

He was going to _kiss her_ and she wanted it so _badly_ , but this was too fast, too soon, not right, not like _this_. “W-wait—”

“Shhhhhh.” The grip on her hair tightened, his thumb moving up to graze her earlobe. “You’re _mine_ now, Ladybug~”

Ladybug pushed against Adrien’s chest, not wanting to hurt him with her strength, but not wanting _this_ either. “I said wait, _stop_ —”

“Ladybug?!”

They both froze, heads whipping around to see… Adrien?

In an instant, all the little discrepancies of the last few minutes fell into place. The world began to make sense again.

Because Adrien, above all else, was a gentleman.

And he would never, _ever_ knowingly force himself on someone.

Ladybug quickly lifted her knee and kicked out, her foot landing squarely on the fake Adrien’s stomach. They flew back, their feet raking up dirt as they slid across the school’s courtyard. Stopping in a crouch, the fake Adrien smirked at her.

Glaring, Ladybug took a protective position in front of the very real and very shell-shocked Adrien.

“Aww, you figured it out,” the fake sneered. They got up, the illusion falling away to reveal Lila, once again the victim of the akuma Volpina. “Just when we were getting so _close_ , too.”

  


* * *

  


**33\. embarrassing hobbies (aka: adrien is secretly a popular ladynoir fanfic writer)**

Mandarin wasn’t offered at Collège Françoise-Dupont, but Nathalie had arranged it so Adrien got credit for his after-school lessons. Which meant he had a free period during the day.

This was very helpful when it came to finishing assignments he couldn’t work on while he was busy being Chat Noir. But… the school library was a lot less private than his room.

Adrien peeked over his shoulder to see if the librarian was still at her desk. She was the only other person in the library right now—everyone else was still in class.

And… she was sitting down. It should be okay.

Saving his homework, Adrien tapped through his tablet until he opened the word processor app.

_**The devilishly handsome Chat Noir caught the beautiful Ladybug as she swooned into his manly arms.** _

Adrien frowned at his incomplete draft.

No, this wasn’t right. His readers were a very discerning group and his beta was a stickler for characterization. Adrien deleted the last sentence and tried again.

_**Ladybug winked saucily, absolutely gorgeous even as she teased Chat back, the moonlight highlighting her confident stance, her bluebell eyes** _

He stopped typing and sighed. Right, a reviewer told him that bluebells were closer to purple, not like Ladybug’s eyes at all—

“Hello?”

Adrien nearly leaped out of his skin as he hastily closed the program. “L- _Ladybug?!_ ”

The librarian shushed him.

There was… no one else around?

Cautiously, Adrien glanced up at the ceiling. Was Ladybug—?

“I’m in here!” she said, sounding _tinnier_ than usual.

He looked down at his tablet. Ladybug was on the screen, waving at him.

“A-Adrien! Hi, um, there’s an akuma, and it stuck me in computer space, and I need you to take me to—”

She paused, confused as Adrien scrambled to delete _his entire word processor_.

  


* * *

  


**34\. water (timebreaker au)**

[time ≠ water](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7954243)

  


* * *

  


**35\. inside a video game (wreck-it ralph au)**

Marinette hid behind a garbage can in Game Central Station, biting her nail and trying to work up the nerve to approach Adrien.

The last of his fans were dispersing, and it wouldn’t be long before he headed back to Passional Danse Super Station, and then she’d never see him again because orientation was done, and oooooh what if Chloé took advantage of the fact that they were from the same game while Marinette was stuck in Sugar Rush, and Adrien and Chloé got married and had beautiful dancing babies together—

“Marinette, you need to calm down,” a voice piped up from her bag. Marinette looked down and saw Tikki peeking out from her bag, looking at her with worry.

“I’m calm!” Marinette hissed, trying not to draw anyone else’s attention. “I-I’m totally calm and collected, and everything is just _fi_ —”

A scream rang out as someone began to glitch, their code forcibly rearranged by Hawk Moth into something he could use.

The akuma towered over the fleeing bystanders, his hands as large as karts, his massive frame hunched and tense. His clothes, skin, hair, everything about him was coloured gunmetal black—except for his eyes. They were bright yellow, like the spark of a hammer against a nail.

“ _I am Wrecking Ball!_ ” he bellowed. “ _And if you think wrecking is all I’m good for, I’m going to wreck every_ —” He smashed a fist into a bench, flattening it. “— _last_ —” He ripped an advertising column from the floor, Sonic blinking out in the middle of his safety awareness message. “— _one of you!!_ ”

Marinette saw where Wrecking Ball was aiming the column. When it was thrown, Adrien would be in its direct path as he tried to help Q*Bert and his friends evacuate.

“Tikki!” Marinette yelled, desperate, but the homeless sprite was already rushing into her earrings, re-writing her code in a nanosecond.

As Ladybug, she was fast enough to get to them before the column, strong enough to pick them all up, and lucky enough to get them out of the way by a _hair_.

The column crashed behind them as Ladybug stumbled into the entrance for Hero’s Duty. Not the safest game, but better to hide in an inert shooter than to take their chances with the akuma.

The instant she let go of them, the Q*Bert refugees scurried away, huddling together in the shadows of the tunnel as Wrecking Ball systematically destroyed the station. Adrien stayed in her arms, holding her up by her shoulders.

“A-are you okay?” he asked, looking down at her with concern. Like he hadn’t almost been flattened, like he wasn’t her orientation partner anymore.

Like her world wouldn’t be dimmer without his light shining it.

Looking up into his green apple eyes, Ladybug knew she had to talk to Adrien after this, to stay in touch with him and stay his friend, her nerves be _damned_.

“I will be,” she said firmly and ran into the station, ready to face anything.

  


* * *

  


**36\. growth spurts and height differences**

“Hmmm.” Lifelined ran her finger down the line that crossed the middle of Adrien’s left palm, tapping the end of it. “Not many people have a fate line, especially one as deep as yours.”

Adrien didn’t rise to the bait, too busy looking for a way to escape. The akuma’s grip on his wrist was strong enough that he’d need Plagg’s magic to break it. His ankles and his other wrist were restrained by metal cuffs. They were unhelpfully attached to the chair he was forced to sit in.

His only blessing was that the table between them kept his right hand out of view. This new akuma was some kind of palm reader and if Hawk Moth could recognize the inactive form of the Black Cat Miraculous…

“But, of course, that’s not as interesting as your life _lines_ ,” the akuma said, shifting excitedly in her seat. She traced the lines that curved around his thumb with a reverence that bordered on creepy. “Nine of them! I’ve never even _heard_ of that before! All that _vitality_ … yes, you’ll do _very_ nicely.”

Lifelined laced her fingers with his, palm against palm, her other hand holding his in place. Unnervingly, a white aura appeared around Adrien’s hand and, bit by bit, was siphoned into the akuma’s.

Adrien could tell that _something_ was being drained from him, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Energy was his best guess, judging by the exhaustion creeping up on him.

He could, however, see the effect it was having on Lifelined.

The grey of her salt-and-pepper hair slowly turned black, the wrinkles in her skin began to smooth, and she seemed to sit up straighter, eyes intent on the glow of his—

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!!”

A figure in red tackled Lifelined to the ground, toppling the fortune telling tent in the process. Adrien was cut off from… from _whatever_ the akuma was doing to him. He gasped for air as the canvas of the tent settled over him, sweat pouring from his too-tight skin.

Or… his too-tight _clothes_.

The buttons of Adrien’s dress shirt popped as soon he tried to lean against the table, the fabric stretching uncomfortably over his shoulders before ripping at the seams. Adrien had to unbutton his jeans with his free hand but was forced to leave his underwear alone, the waistlines of both cutting into his skin.

“Hold on, kid,” came a voice from his shirt.

Adrien could hear Plagg doing… _something_. Between the darkness of the collapsed tent and the bone-deep ache of his body, Adrien didn’t really have much attention to spare.

But his cuffs loosened, enough that he could shake himself free from them. Adrien quickly toed off his suddenly too-small shoes and peeled away his too-small socks before sliding down from the chair. He pulled himself under the table, disoriented enough that he couldn’t do more than lie down on the grass and _breathe_.

“Plagg…,” he hissed, his fingers digging into the dirt.

“Some _thanks_ would be nice,” Plagg said. Adrien grit his teeth to fight back a groan. “I’ll forgive you if you give me two wheels of camembert and find some place less suspicious to transform.”

“One,” Adrien countered.

“Deal!”

Plagg huddled into Adrien’s collar. Adrien took a second to reach down and use both hands to rip a tear in the waistband of his underwear. A relieved sigh escaped him as the pressure on his skin _finally_ let up.

He might look like a mess right now, but everything important was covered up and the akuma was still out there. He _had_ to transform and fight it.

Slowly, he crawled out from under the table and navigated his way to the edge of the canvas.

  


* * *

  


Ladybug’s eyes roamed around the park, searching for the escaped akuma. She was about to give up and do a search on foot when she heard rustling behind her.

From the tent.

Where _Adrien_ had been.

Mortified and guilty, Ladybug turned and saw a lump moving under the collapsed tent.

“Oh no,” she said. She put her yoyo away and ran forward, her hands already grasping the tent’s canvas and pulling it up and away. “I’m so sorry, are—”

Her words died in an instant.

In front of her, still half-draped in canvas, was a grown man.

A man with tousled blond hair and gentle green eyes that could effortlessly pierce through her. A man with a strong chin and high cheekbones, handsome features fit for a model. A man with broad shoulders and large hands, one of which sported a silver signet ring. A man with a familiar outfit that no longer fit him and showed too much skin to be healthy for her heart.

“Ladybug?” said the man with a deep voice that was still so _warm_ , enough to send a shiver down her spine. The wide, tired grin he flashed her had an overbite. “You’re the one who saved me?”

Ladybug nodded, not wanting to risk opening her mouth and having either gibberish or drool come out.

The man rose to his feet, the canvas falling away, and Ladybug tilted her head back in shock as he _kept_ rising, clearing her by a good half metre _at least_.

“Thank you,” said the man who was somehow _Adrien Agreste_. Then he blinked. “Um, not to be rude… but did you get shorter?”

  


* * *

  


**37\. horror movies (gold and silver au)**

Horror movies were famous for two things: their gorey, bloody, possibly psychologically scarring nature and…

When the characters started taking their clothes off, Adrien was the first to give in. He fumbled for the remote, switching the television’s video output, but the blessedly blank screen did nothing to cool his burning face.

“Y-you know, I think I want to play some video games instead!” Adrien said quickly, voice cracking. He coughed to clear his throat.

“Yes!” Ladybug agreed as she oh so carefully avoided looking at him. “Yes, we should do it.”

Adrien whipped his head in her direction so fast, it was a small miracle he didn’t crack it.

“ _What?!_ ”

Ladybug’s eyes went wide and panicked.

“I-I MEANT THAT! I MEAN, NOT _THAT_ , I MEAN—” She clapped a hand to her mouth and gestured frantically towards the game console underneath the television.

Right. Of course.

He pursed his lips and dropped his gaze to his knees; the couch they both sat on suddenly felt too small. Silence stretched out between them, painful and awkward and so embarrassing that it was _paralyzing_.

It wasn’t that he didn’t—

Adrien lurched off the couch, not wanting to finish that thought, and busied himself with setting up the game.

The disk for Ultimate Mecha Strike III was still inside from the last time he played it. He handed a controller to Ladybug, not _quite_ brave enough to look her in the eye yet.

Choosing the game mode and his character was easy. Waiting for Ladybug’s cursor to move across the character selection screen was not. It sat, blinking but unmoving.

“… Sorry,” she mumbled. “You don’t have to… _we_ don’t…”

He peeked at her, slowly sliding his eyes to the side. She was hunched over, holding the controller next to her mouth like it would hide the way she was chewing on her lip.

Adrien… _hated_ seeing her like that.

Gathering his courage, he put down his controller.

“Hey,” he said. Ladybug glanced up and didn’t flinch away when he gently guided her hands back down. “It’s fine. Neither of us are ready for… _that_. And that’s okay.”

She hesitated before taking his hands, grasping them lightly as she turned towards him. Her knees brushed his as she rubbed her thumbs over his skin.

“I don’t understand how you can… you’re always so _nice_ ,” she said. Ladybug lifted his hands and smiled as she kissed his curling fingers. Warmth blossomed under the touch of her lips, rushing straight into Adrien’s chest and flooding his cheeks. “But… thanks, Adrien. I’m glad I’m with you.”

“I’m—me too,” he answered. Adrien felt even more flustered when she giggled, fondness brightening her eyes.

  


* * *

  


**38\. “who crawls through someone’s window at 4 am to go for ice cream?!”**

Ladybug stared at the panting Plagg, keeping her face carefully blank as she offered the cake box she carried all the way to Adrien’s room.

“I have baked camembert,” she said.

“I love you and forgive you of all sins,” Plagg replied instantly, snatching the bribe from her hands and scurrying off to the second floor.

“How did you _do_ that?” asked Adrien, tired eyes filled with awe. “He never stops complaining whenever I wake him up early!”

“The way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach,” Ladybug said, winking at him.

Adrien looked significantly less wooed than she wanted him to be. More… confused.

“But Plagg isn’t a…” He paused, squinting. “Well, actually, now that I think about it… I never actually asked if kwami have genders. I just assumed Plagg was a guy because of that old man voice.”

Ladybug mentally rewound the last few seconds of conversation before sighing, tapping her forehead with her fist.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that—though that _is_ a good question. It’s just something Papa says about Mama all the time,” she explained. Then she frowned. “I must be more tired than I thought.”

Adrien stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder. It was a friendly gesture and not at all romantic; Ladybug _still_ had to nudge her heart into beating again.

“You should be in bed, Marinette.”

In the face of his exhaustion and worry, it was hard to keep from faltering.

“So should you,” she shot back.

“Cats are nocturnal,” said Adrien, but even his grin didn’t hide the bags under the eyes.

Were his grades so important that he’d lose this much sleep over them?

Ladybug lifted her chin stubbornly. “Then I guess you won’t mind getting some ice cream with me, kitty.”

“My lady…” He huffed before his smile turned crooked and soft. “Is this the Dupain method of courtship? Are you trying to win over my delicate maiden heart with delicious food?”

Ladybug laughed and leaned her face up to Adrien’s, feeling warm, fluttering _hope_ when he stared down at her, wide-eyed and covered with that amazingly vivid blush of his.

“You know I don’t need food to do that,” she murmured. Her gaze slid down to his throat, watching hungrily as he swallowed.

  


* * *

  


**39\. aching muscles from running all over the city, and then: “would a massage help?” (gold and silver au)**

Ladybug glanced up, then down, realizing she was rubbing her shoulder again.

“It’s not that bad,” she said as she pulled her hand away. Adrien caught it on the way down to her side, pressing the back of it to his lips. He couldn’t bear to close his eyes at the feeling of her skin; he was still too entranced by the novelty of seeing how her lips parted, her masked eyes hooding

“It is,” he said. Adrien kissed the inside of her wrist and smiled. “Come on, Ladybug, I’m pretty good at massages.”

His lady sighed dramatically before letting herself smirk. “If you insist~”

Ladybug turned away, stepping towards his bed as she pulled off her tank top.

The deliberate carelessness of tossing her top on the floor, the sway of her pleated skirt as she walked across his room, the flicker of challenge in her eyes as she lay face down on his bed and kicked her feet in the air… Adrien knew it was calculated to drive him _crazy_.

(He loved it. He loved _her_.)

“Well? What are you waiting for?” asked Ladybug, still looking very pleased with herself.

Adrien laughed, breathless and nervous, and grabbed the bottle of body lotion on his desk. He crawled onto the bed over her, settling himself just behind the tempting swell of her derrière.

“Is it just your shoulders that hurt?” he asked, flipping her ponytail up and away from her neck.

She grabbed a pillow and propped her head up with it, grinning back at him. “My _whole back_ aches.”

Adrien’s eyes quickly zeroed in on her red bra strap. He felt himself heat up as Ladybug’s grin turned predatory.

“Need some help, handsome?” she asked lightly. Adrien shook his head and reached for the clasp, determined not to let it best him again.

With a little more fumbling than he wanted, the clasp came free and Adrien could get to work. He squirted the lotion on his hands, warming it between them before spreading it across her back.

Ladybug grunted as his fingers found the knots of muscle under her skin. He kneaded them with his knuckles and thumbs until they—and her tension—melted away, working his lady’s back and shoulders until she was a loose, blissed out lump under him.

“No, wait,” Ladybug moaned as Adrien got up to get more lotion. She wriggled around until she was on her back; then she grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt, pulling him down on top of her.

The kiss she planted on his lips was everything he loved about Ladybug: confident, passionate, and wholehearted, her hands coming around to hold them tightly together and to tug gently at his hair. Adrien helped part her legs so they could press even closer, running his lotion-slick fingers along her thighs.

“I can massage your front too,” Adrien gasped against her mouth and Ladybug whimpered, already scrambling to pull her bra off completely.

  


* * *

  


**40\. chocolate**

“What’s with you, man?” Nino asked halfway through break.

Adrien shook his head, keeping his hands fisted on the table so he’d stop anxiously chewing on his fingernails. He already dreaded the lecture his manicurist would give him at his next appointment; he didn’t need to make it worse.

“I’m… okay,” said Adrien. Then, at the _look_ Nino shot him, he amended, “I will be, I just need to ask Alya something.”

“Ask me what?”

Adrien started at the sudden appearance of Alya and Marinette at his elbow, barely keeping himself from falling out of his seat.

His school bag was not so lucky. It fell to the ground, spilling its contents across the floor. Tablet, pencil case, phone, notebooks, wheel of camembert… Adrien let out a sigh of relief when he realized Plagg had stayed out of sight.

But then Alya picked up the box that landed by her feet and Adrien nearly _died_.

“Ooooh, what’s this? A gift for someone?” Alya asked, grinning. She lifted the tag. “It certainly _looks_ nice—‘To Ladybug’?!”

Adrien lurched forward, snatching the box from her hands. He could hear the chocolates rattling inside as he held it against his chest, felt the heat from his blush spread from his neck to the tips of his ears.

“Tomorrow’s the 14th,” he mumbled to his shoes. The idea of trying to look any one of his friends in the eye while laying his heart bare like this was _mortifying_. “That’s White Day in China and Japan and a couple other countries. I just… wanted to pay her back for the… um…”

Unable to take the silence anymore, Adrien’s gaze darted up to take in Nino’s incredulousness, Alya’s conflicted expression, and Marinette’s shock, her hand going so far as to cover her open mouth.

Embarrassment lashed through him. Adrien stuffed the box back in his bag, bending down to gather the rest of his fallen things. “ _You know what, this was a bad idea, justforgetaboutit_ —”

A gentle touch stopped his movements. Adrien looked up to see Marinette kneeling, cheeks flushed as she quickly picked up his things and stood up.

He straightened up after her, blinking with surprise when she shoved the pile at his chest.

“I-it’s not bland, I mean bad!” Marinette shook her head, clutching at her elbows as her face turned redder. “You’re so sweet—I mean, it’s sweet—I mean, _Ladybug_ will think it’s sweet! That! You’re getting this for m— _her!!!_ Just for her! No one else!”

Adrien felt Nino slide an arm around his shoulders, grinning as he lightly punched Adrien’s arm. “Dude, you could have _told_ us sooner. We got your back, bro.”

“Thanks,” Adrien said, smiling. He felt more at ease when he finally turned to Alya. “So… can you help me get into contact with Ladybug?”

The valentine Ladybug sent him had been addressed to _Adrien_ , not Chat Noir. Ladybug didn’t know who he really was… the only way to keep that secret and give her the gift was to find her _without_ the mask.

“What makes you think I know Ladybug?” Alya asked, crossing her arms.

“You had an exclusive interview with her outside of an akuma attack,” Adrien reminded her. Right before hitting her with his best kitty cat eyes. “Please?”

Alya narrowed her eyes before they flicked to Marinette, who nodded frantically. With a sigh and a wry smile, Alya reached out to ruffle Adrien’s hair.

“Alright, alright, enough. I’ll help you out with your celebrity crush,” she said.

Instantly, Adrien’s face _burned_. “I-I don’t—!”

“Uh huh, you tell yourself that,” Alya replied, smirking as she thumbed through her phone.

  


* * *

  


**41\. discovering their sensitive spots (gold and silver au)**

Marinette stroked Adrien’s cheek as they lay in bed together, tucked under his blanket. She absently ran a thumb over the edge of his blindfold.

The dark didn’t keep her from seeing his smile turn into a grin. He rested his hand over hers, turning his head slightly to kiss the heel of her palm.

She shivered, not expecting the jolt of heat that shot through her, knotting up her stomach.

“Ladybug?” he whispered. Adrien’s lips brushed her skin as he spoke, and Marinette shivered again.

“That felt… can I…” She turned on her side and shifted closer, painfully aware of his chest pressing against hers as he did the same, of the collar of his shirt dipping low enough to show his collarbone, of his mouth, full and slightly parted and _inviting_.

Marinette could feel him take slow breaths and wondered at how he let himself be so vulnerable for her.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Can I kiss you?” she blurted out. Marinette knew when the question sunk into Adrien, because his Adam’s apple bobbed along the exposed length of his throat.

“Yeah,” he croaked. Their legs tangled as he slipped his arms around her waist.

Bringing up her other hand, she cupped Adrien’s cheeks, tilting his head towards her. Her self-conscious blush was just as bad as his, Marinette realized, and she leaned forward.

Their noses brushed first. Adrien sucked in a breath, and Marinette caught his exhale against her lips.

The kiss felt a little different than usual. It was chaste and soft, like always, but she could touch Adrien’s face with her bare hands, feel Adrien’s shaking fingers skirt the tiny gap between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her pyjama pants.

Marinette wrenched herself away before she wanted to, like always, thinking ‘ _I need to stop before Tikki gets upset_ ’.

Then she remembered that _Tikki wasn’t here_.

“Adrien! I—again, can I kiss you ag—?”

“ _Yes_ ,” he rushed to say.

Marinette pulled Adrien in, taking the time to savour _him_ and all his warmth, his taste, his earthshattering moan into her mouth as she ran her fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp.

  


* * *

  


**42\. “so close” from enchanted**

[let’s go on dreaming](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8422159)

  


* * *

  


**43\. bruises and scars (gold and silver au)**

The bed shifting underneath her nudged Marinette into waking. She burrowed deeper into the blankets and groaned, her arms moving to snuggle her cat pillow—

This… wasn’t her pillow.

Blinking her eyes open, Marinette found herself staring down at a plain, white pillow.

It was not her striped cat pillow or the pink one she embroidered herself.

In fact, it looked suspiciously like one of _Adrien’s_.

Marinette sat up quickly, dark blue blanket falling off to reveal herself in pyjamas (um) and unmasked (UM). It was still well before dawn, judging by the darkness of the sky, and Adrien wasn’t in bed.

Which was out of place. Because, last night, in a fit of sleep depravity, Marinette agreed to stay the night.

With Adrien.

Alone.

_No mask_. He blindfolded himself, Marinette recalled as she covered herself in the blanket, ready to hide her face in case Adrien showed himself unexpectedly. He did that—and she was doing this—because, as long as Hawkmoth terrorized Paris, the secret of her identity was her best defence against his schemes…save for her Miraculous itself.

She had to keep her identity secret, no matter the cost to herself. Or her relationships.

( _Her parents, worried about her absences. Alya, annoyed at being bailed on. Chat Noir, holding a closet door open and pleading for her to let him in_.)

( _Adrien, holding her face in his hands, wanting to know more about her_ — _about Ladybug_ — _and she_ couldn’t tell him.)

A grunt cut short her anxious spiral of ‘ _this was a mistake a mistake a horrible mistake_ ’ and Marinette glanced up.

Adrien was climbing his rock wall. Okaaaaaay.

She started to duck back under the blanket before a detail registered in her mind. Marinette’s head snapped up, and she tossed the blanket away, racing to the foot of the rock wall.

He was up there, alright. _While still blindfolded_.

“Adrien!” she hissed.

He ignored her, his left foot testing the stability of his next step up. He was up maybe six metres, too far for her to reach unless she started climbing too.

Cupping her mouth to help block her voice from his bedroom door, she tried again. “ _Adrien, get down from there!_ ”

He let out a snore and hoisted himself up, right hand missing the grip.

Marinette nearly screamed when he fell.

Reacting more than thinking, she positioned herself in his path to catch him in her arms.

But that reaction was born from fighting and rescuing as _Ladybug_ , not Marinette. She forgot she wasn’t as strong without her Miraculous active.

Her legs crumpled under the weight of Adrien’s falling body, made even heavier by speed, and they landed on the ground with a loud, hard thump.

Marinette winced at the most-likely-bruising pain from her rear before immediately switching focus to check on Adrien. He was sideways on her lap and, she was relieved to confirm, totally fine.

“—mmm, wha, what’s going on?” he asked, reaching for the blindfold.

Quick as a cat, Marinette grabbed his wrist before he could pull it away. “That’s exactly what I’d like to know, Adrien!”

“Ladybug?” His free hand rested over the grip she had on him. Even in the midst of her anger, Marinette could feel herself calm down, just a little. “What are… oh, right, you stayed ov—oh, oh no, I’m sorry, it’s not what you think—”

“You mean, you weren’t doing a pretty good job of trying to _break your neck_ —“

“I was sleepwalking!” he interrupted. “It’s been a while since it last happened, but it usually triggers when I stay up late and, well, we _were_ talking for a while…”

“Oh,” said Marinette. And then, “Um, you weren’t… walking…”

She could see the blush peeking out from under his blindfold and feel him shifting in embarrassment on her lap. Honestly, how could he get even _more_ endearing?

Yeah, um, contrary to the name, sleepwalking isn’t _just_ walking.” He grinned, crooked and wry, and lifted up one shoulder. “I still have the scar from the last time.”

Marinette let go of his hand so she could wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head on his shoulder. In the dim light of the setting moon, she could see the scar he was talking about peeking out from under his collar.

“You scared me,” she said, feeling the fear shudder through her now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

“Sorry,” Adrien replied. He ran his fingers through her loosened hair before kissing her forehead. “You should just wake me up if this happens next time, okay?”

Next time.

Meaning: the next time they shared a bed. Implying: it would happen more than just this once.

Smiling, Marinette nuzzled into the crook of Adrien’s neck, relief and warm contentment making her sleepy. “Okay.”

  


* * *

  


**44\. no clothes**

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

Ladybug only wanted to drop off her ‘I’m Sorry I Keep Barging In On You Showering/Bathing _Please Don’t Hate Me_ ’ gift while no one was home. Just swinging in and out of Adrien’s room, maybe sneaking downstairs to admire his father’s photographs. Quick, easy, and painless.

Her plans didn’t include her Adrien walking out of his bathroom like Aphrodite rising from the sea, with a crown of suds in his hair and a pink flush to his skin, just as alluring and just as _totally naked_.

With a dying wheeze, Ladybug crashed backwards into the computer chair; Adrien yelped, retreating to his bathroom and slamming the sliding door shut.

“I’M SORRY,” Ladybug yelled, desperately trying to untangle herself from the chair. “I’M SO SORRY, THIS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, _I’M SORRY!_ ”

“NO, IT’S MY FAULT—” Adrien’s words were muffled and 100 percent inaccurate.

“NO, M-MINE, IT’S MY FAULT, I—” Ladybug scrambled to get to her feet, knowing she could never recover from this humiliation. Rest in peace, any chance she had of talking to Adrien normally. “YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO SEE ME AGAIN, I’M SORRY I KEEP DOING THIS—”

The door instantly slid open, revealing a very alarmed Adrien in all his glory.

Again.

Ladybug’s heart couldn’t take much more of this

“Wait, don’t go, you caaaAAAAAAAHHH NO!!!” Adrien wailed, finally realizing what he’d done. Ladybug blinked and the door shut again.

It didn’t get the image of Adrien, dripping with water and completely shameless for exactly three seconds, out of her head.

_She needed to get out of here_.

  


* * *

  


By the time Adrien pulled on his boxers and threw on a bathrobe, Ladybug disappeared, leaving only a toppled chair and a scented candle.

Horrific embarrassment smelled like lavender macarons.

  


* * *

  


**45\. manga**

The moment Adrien learned that someone in Japan wrote a manga about him and Ladybug, _he had to have it_.

In less than 48 hours, there was a copy of _Miraculous Defender Ladybug Volume 1_ in his hands.

…Not that he could read Japanese. But he could follow along with the Chinese scanlations and write a French translation of _that_ on sticky notes, carefully cutting and covering the word balloons with them.

It was worth it to see the look of absolute joy on Alya’s face when he showed her the next day.

“Please let me take pictures for the Ladyblog, please, please, please, PLEEEEEEASE!!!” she begged, her phone already in hand.

“Alright, alright!” Adrien said, laughing. “But only the first chapter, okay? There’s an official version coming out next month, and I won’t ruin it for anyone else.”

“You are ruining _nothing_ ,” Alya insisted. She gleefully flipped through the pages, Nino and Marinette both reading over her shoulder.

Lunch in the park with his friends went much quicker with the manga to talk about. Too soon, they were headed back to school, still stuck on the cliffhanger.

“If Félix doesn’t kiss Ladybug in the next book, I’m going to scream,” said Alya, manga open in her hands.

“Preach it!” said Nino. He high-fived Alya while Marinette flailed.

“I—Ladybug wouldn’t let—th-there’s probably rules or, um…” she mumbled.

Adrien kept quiet, ignoring his growing blush. ‘Félix’ was Chat’s secret identity in the manga; Ladybug saved him from muggers, and the volume ended with Félix determined to give her a thank-you kiss.

Félix was a very different person, but…

“You’ve been quiet, bro. What do you think?” Nino asked.

“I think I would kiss her,” Adrien answered absently, not realizing he’d fumbled his pronouns until Marinette walked into a pole.

  


* * *

  


**46\. the love at first sight/fish tank scene from romeo+juliet (no miraculous au)**

“‘Let’s crash the Agreste’s party’, they said,” Marinette muttered to herself, splashing her face. “‘It’ll be _fun_ ’, they said.”

Which didn’t mean that the idea of showing Chloé up was any less appealing. Especially after she spent _three whole weeks_ bragging about attending this party.

But between losing her friends and roasting in her red Knight of Time costume, Marinette was just about ready to call the whole thing off.

She dropped the heavy cape and cowl behind a potted plant, pushing up her sleeves as she exited one of the washrooms.

Because of course _Chloé’s_ friend was rich enough to have two washrooms on the first floor. There was even an aquarium separating the hall leading up to them.

_At least it’s pretty_ , Marinette thought, walking up to it.

The tank was full of bright, tropical fish, lit in ethereal blue. From the ballroom, Marinette heard a woman crooning a love song, the syllables drawn out and blending into a slow melody. As she watched the fish dart around pieces of coral, Marinette felt her irritation slipping away with the song.

She studied the coral, bending to look through a hole in the structure, and found a green eye peering back.

Startled, she straightened up.

The stranger did as well.

Marinette swallowed, all too aware of her still dripping face.

On the other side of the aquarium was a pretty blond boy, dressed as an angel. But what shook her was his eyes.

He looked at Marinette like she was sunlight breaking through water.

Heart caught in her throat, Marinette took a breath to try clearing it.

The boy ducked his head ( _was he shy?_ ) before glancing up at her, sweet hints of a smile at the corners of his mouth, and Marinette’s breath, mind, _soul_ , was caught too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elaienar is the literal best and drew [ladybird from the magic prompt](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/141969004651)!!!!!!!!!!! ♥♥♥
> 
> (in b4 adrien is allergic to feathers, I FORGOT OKAY, let's pretend magic-produced feathers are hypoallergenic)


	3. ladrien june 2016 prompts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These prompts were created by @miraculous-months-of-love for Ladrien June 2016 ([masterpost here](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/145218569356/hey-guess-what-tomorrow-is-the-first-day-of)), and I'm proud to say I sent in a lot of them when they were looking for suggestions, pfft. First half of these prompts were completed during June 2016, but the second half was done a year later, during the fall, because I have negative chill regarding this ship and am too stubborn to give up.

**1\. love poem**

_Your armour is red_  
_Your eyes, an endless sky blue_  
_Not even your smile_  
_Is as sweet as you_

“Do you think she’ll like it?” Adrien asked, hands nervously smoothing the paper his poem was written on. He checked it over one more time for any mistakes. Finally, he dropped it into the garbage can.

“I think you’re putting it exactly where it belongs,” Plagg quipped. He snickered, dodging the swipe Adrien aimed at him. “Come on, you can’t _seriously_ expect me to help you with your gross poems and your ridiculous schemes.”

“They’re _not_ gross and it’s _not_ a scheme,” Adrien said, frowning. “I’m just… trying to catch Ladybug’s attention.”

He still wasn’t sure how he did it the first time. On Valentine’s Day, Adrien threw away the draft of the poem he was working on… and, somehow, his lady found it. Even better, she _answered_ it! With another poem!!

“You don’t _know_ it was Ladybug, you _assume_ it was her,” Plagg pointed out, ducking back into Adrien’s overshirt. As Adrien stepped out of the empty classroom, he pulled out another poem.

_My dear Valentine,_  
_as winter turns into spring,_  
_will you turn to me?_

“It _has_ to be her,” Adrien whispered to himself. He headed for the classroom next door.

Ladybug didn’t know Adrien was Chat Noir, not if she _mailed_ the poem to him. Somehow, someway, Adrien succeeded where Chat hadn’t and he was _ecstatic_. He wished he could tell Ladybug how she made him feel!

Of course, there hadn’t been a return address. If his only means of contact with her was through the trash… well.

Adrien would happily throw away his love poems. Every day, into every garbage can in his school, until he graduated or, hopefully, he gained his lady’s favour once again.

  


* * *

  


**2\. awkwardness**

“Roxanne Richard, for Jeunes Femmes magazine—what do you think of Adrien Agreste?”

Ladybug stared at the woman holding the tape recorder, her smile becoming increasingly strained. “W-Who?”

Then, the unthinkable happened. The reporter reached into her jacket and pulled out a photo of Adrien that Ladybug had _never seen before_.

“This is Adri—”

Ladybug snatched the photo out of the reporter’s hand. It _had_ to be from Gabriel’s new line—the grey turtleneck sweater, dark beige coat, and black slacks were the muted tones one expected for fall fashion.

And Adrien made the outfit look _good_. He leaned against a lamp post, aviator shades perched on golden hair framed in golden light, hands wedged in his pockets as he took in the sunset over the Seine.

Honestly, how could one boy’s smile be _so_ —

Someone snapped their fingers in front of Ladybug’s face, making her jump.

“Earth to Ladybug! You there?” Alya asked, one eyebrow raised in concern.

Right, Ladybug was with Alya. And a… whole bunch of reporters… because she was… _in the middle of a solo press conference, oh CRUD_.

She quickly hid the photo behind her, scratching the back of her head.

“Ahahaha_ha_, that, ah, I-I’ve never seen this guy before in my life!” Ladybug lied.

Alya’s other eyebrow went up, and she exchanged a look with the Jeunes Femmes reporter.

“Adrien’s face is all over Paris,” said Alya, slowly.

Ladybug winced. “Um.”

“ _And_ I have an eyewitness that says you met him when the akuma Jackady went after Gabriel Agreste.”

The gleam in Alya’s eyes only ever spelled trouble. “Uh, you know, I _just_ remembered that I have—”

“Tell us, what _do_ you think of Adrien?” Alya demanded. Ladybug…

Ladybug tossed her yoyo and _fled_ , swinging away with her new photo of Adrien.

  


* * *

  


**3\. games (gold and silver au)**

Ladybug let out a frustrated snarl as she yanked the joystick to the side. On the screen, her car drove into the racetrack’s barrier, crashing and burning in a spectacular explosion of pixels.

‘GAME OVER’ scrolled across the display, flashing over and over again. Adrien pulled Ladybug away before she kicked the machine.

“Nononono, I _like_ that game,” Adrien said. He let go of Ladybug’s elbows when he judged his game machine was… _probably_ safe.

She crossed her arms, back stiff as she glared at the machine. “What kind of arcade racing _is_ this? It doesn’t even have a _steering wheel_ —” Ladybug’s eyes grew wide, road rage leaving her as her hand flew up to her mouth. “AH, I-I’m not—that is, um—!”

Adrien chuckled. A few weeks ago, he couldn’t have imagined that he would get to be with his lady like this. Now, she visited him often, showing sides of herself he’d barely glimpsed before as Chat Noir.

He already knew Ladybug was competitive, stubborn, liked video games—but tonight, Adrien learned that she was _embarrassed_ because she was better at modern games than retro ones.

As much as her blush looked good on her, Adrien didn’t like seeing her so self-conscious. Daring to take her hand in his, he gently tugged her back to the racing game.

Ladybug stared at him. Swallowed and… squeezed his hand.

Adrien forced himself to turn before he got lost in the ocean of her eyes.

“No, you’re right. This baby has a new coat of paint, but it _is_ old. One of the first arcade machines made in France, back in the 80s.” Adrien reached down to where the coin slot used to be and pressed the credit button until there was enough for another play. “Ready to try again?”

“ _Bring it_ ,” she said, so fiercely that Adrien couldn’t help grinning.

  


* * *

  


**4\. i can show you the world (gold and silver au)**

The Tour Montparnasse was a monolithic eyesore. It jutted out awkwardly from the silhouette of Paris’ landscape, boring tourists and angering locals in one infuriating stroke.

Which made it the perfect place for Ladybug to take Adrien base jumping.

For one glorious moment of free fall, it was just her and Adrien and the wind whipping around them. He clung to her back, arms and legs wrapped around her, his breath hot on her neck. It was _him_ more than the height that made her heart race.

Still, Ladybug didn’t let those thoughts, let _Adrien_ , distract her enough to _not_ pull out her yoyo. With a hard toss, the disk hooked around a nearby church spire.

“Hold on!” she yelled, adjusting her grip on Adrien’s thigh. Somehow, he huddled even _closer_ to Ladybug as the yoyo string went tight. They swung down, then up, flying back into the night sky. His laugh rang bright and clear, lifting her spirits and filling her with restless joy.

They toured darkened gardens, skimmed over their reflections in the Seine, jumped from road to roof to dirt to air with breathless wonder. Together, they rediscovered their home, saw it anew through moonlight and the eyes of their beloved.

Finally, when the lights of the Eiffel Tower flickered off, Ladybug headed back to Adrien’s room, landing lightly on his balcony. He eased off her back, but didn’t let go of her completely, his hands resting on her shoulders as she turned to face him.

“Thanks, for tonight,” he said, a blush settling on his face. “I… I had fun.”

“Any time,” Ladybug replied. Her hands rose to fix his lapel, ruffled by their wild trip across Paris. She kept her hands there, fingering the fabric as she built up the nerve to look at him directly.

Adrien beat her to it. Gently, he grasped her chin and tilted her face up, leaving Ladybug with no choice but to stare into his eyes.

Green was supposed to be a cool colour. Calm. Soothing.

So, why did Adrien’s eyes make her feel like she was submerged in warmth? Like he’d set glowing embers in her chest on the day he offered her his umbrella. Like he tossed new fuel to the flames when he moved his hand from her chin to stroke her cheek.

“Goodnight, my… my Ladybug,” he mumbled. Ladybug swallowed ( _his his his she was his_ — _he was __hers_ ) and began to rise on her toes. Was Adrien leaning closer?

“Sleep well, my handsome prince,” she said, before pulling him down the rest of the way.

Heaven, Ladybug realized, was the taste of Adrien on her lips.

  


* * *

  


**5\. first love**

The Disorderly tightened the straps over Adrien, trapping him onto the stretcher with the rest of the frightened crowd.

“HA! If only those judging hacks could see me now,” the Disorderly muttered angrily to themselves. A butterfly outline appeared in front of their face, and they scowled. “Yeah, yeah, I’m on it.”

As the akuma moved to the front of the hospital waiting room, Adrien tried to wiggle out of his restraints.

One of the buckles was loose. If he could _slowly_ ease it wider, he could slip away and transform—

“ALRIGHT,” said the Disorderly, clapping their hands together. “We just need to get the monitoring equipment set up and we’ll be ready for our examination.”

With a snap of their fingers, electrode pads flew up and placed themselves over Adrien’s skin, their wires leading back to heart monitoring equipment. All around him, people cried out in alarm as the same thing happened to them.

The Disorderly swept their gaze across the room, nodding absently before noting something on their clipboard.

“Now, how do you feel when I show you… _this?!_ ”

With another snap of their fingers, the TV in the room displayed a photo of Ladybug.

Adrien tried not to cringe as his heartbeat audibly sped up.

“Aaah, what a strong reaction!” The Disorderly shuffled over to his stretcher. “Do you have any idea why that is, young man?”

“N-no,” Adrien lied. Could the Disorderly figure out how worried he was? The akuma checked him over, scribbling furiously on their clipboard.

“Well, let’s see… a healthy, young male exposed to Ladybug, exhibiting signs of an elevated heart rate, flushed skin, sweaty palms… My diagnosis?” The Disorderly sighed. “Lovesickness. _Damn_.”

Adrien’s mind screeched to a halt. “What?!”

The Disorderly clucked their tongue. “And with that much obliviousness? _First_ love, for sure.”

  


* * *

  


**6\. everyone can see it**

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Chat Noir said. He tapped his claws on the iron beam they were sitting on before stopping to clench his fist. “About you and… Adrien Agreste,” he finished.

Ladybug looked at Chat, at his carefully neutral face, at his tail curled meekly underneath him, and turned away.

When Chat Noir invited her up to the Eiffel Tower after patrol, Ladybug knew this would happen. She outright _dreaded_ it.

After almost giving up her Miraculous to Volpina for _Adrien’s_ sake, of _course_ Chat would have questions. Maybe even _answers_ to ones he hadn’t thought to ask.

( _Who holds my lady’s heart?_ )

“Go ahead,” Ladybug sighed. She drew up her legs and wrapped her arms around them, avoiding her partner's— _teammate’s_ gaze. Paris glittered below them, beautiful and completely useless as a distraction.

“… You’re not going to stop me?”

She shook her head and rested her chin on her knees. “What’s the point? It’s obvious, isn’t it? That I… I always lose my head, whenever Adrien’s involved.”

“Do you really… _care_ about—about him that much?” Chat Noir asked, soft and unsure. It was a tone she’d never heard before from her flamboyant, overconfident kitty.

Ladybug nodded. She didn’t dare look at Chat as they sat in suffocating silence.

“You could tell him, you know,” said Chat, like it was that easy. With how he loved to flirt and joke, maybe it was… for him, anyway. But Ladybug… Marinette… she just wasn’t that brave. Not yet.

“Not like this,” Ladybug immediately replied. “It’s too dangerous if Hawk Moth finds out.” If he didn’t already see it, thanks to how rash she was. “If… if Hawk Moth does go after Adrien, because of me, will you help me protect him?”

“… Of course, my lady.”

  


* * *

  


**7\. shower scene**

Ladybug swung into Adrien’s room and looked around. No Adrien.

She glanced up at the second floor. No Adrien.

Heart in her throat, she rushed to where she last saw him, before Volpina kidnapped him (or was it his illusion?) and headed to the Eiffel Tower.

Ladybug pressed her ear against the bathroom door, trying to tell if he was still in there.

“Adrien?” she called.

Nothing. She couldn’t hear anything.

“Are you there?” she tried again.

Silence.

Worry dug its claws deeper into her. Ladybug dumped her propriety and slid the bathroom door open. “Can I come in?” she asked, already stepping inside.

Finally, _finally_ , Ladybug heard the shower running. She jogged forward, wanting to confirm that—

Adrien was taking off his shirt.

He blinked at her, surprised, before he finished pulling it off, tossing it to the side.

Now Ladybug could see the pecs she’d felt every time Adrien caught her. His toned abs. His broad shoulders and defined arms. All bare and gorgeous and— _Adrien was reaching for his belt, oh god_.

“Hey, Ladybug,” he said, unbuckling his belt and unzipping his jeans. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“ _It’s_ —” Ladybug coughed, trying to cover the way her voice squeaked. “It’s alright! Um, I just wanted to make sure that you were fine—”

Adrien’s pants dropped to his ankles.

“Naked,” she finished faintly, _because Adrien went commando holy shit_. “You’re fine naked. Wait, I mean! You’re fine! But, not that kind of fine—I mean, you _are_ that kind of fine, but I meant—”

Adrien smoothly stepped out of his discarded jeans and swaggered forward, pulling Ladybug against him. Why was his leering smirk so _familiar?_

“Marinette…” he purred. Ladybug tipped her head back as he leaned down, his lips hovering over hers. She’d wanted his kiss for _so long_ … “Marinette, _YOU’RE LATE FOR SCHOOL!_ ”

  


* * *

  


Gasping, Marinette woke up to a needy ache between her legs and Tikki frantically yanking at her bangs.

  


* * *

  


**8\. jealousy**

This was it. The final battle.

Ladybug and Chat Noir had finally forced Hawk Moth out into the open. An all-out, no-holds-barred battle raged between them on the streets of Paris. The ferocity of the blows exchanged left no doubt that the winner of this battle would win the war.

Chat went to toe-to-toe with Volpina (would the man _ever_ stop torturing Lila?), keeping her distracted as Ladybug took Hawk Moth head on.

He only needed to grab Volpina’s necklace and break it, then he could actually _help_ his lady directly.

Volpina’s flute locked with his staff, their weapons scraping against each other. She smirked at him as they pushed their weight into each other, trying to overpower their opponent.

“Give up, alley cat,” Volpina taunted. “We’re going to _win_ , no matter what you do.”

“Wow,” Chat said through gritted teeth. “I thought the fox said ‘Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding’!”

Volpina scowled and broke away, jumping back to put some distance between them.

“I _was_ going to invite what’s left of you to my wedding with Adrien, but since you referenced that ridiculous song YET AGAIN…”

Chat was about to ask if the invitation would be in Morse code, but Ladybug interrupted him with a bitter laugh.

“You really think Hawk Moth would let you marry Adrien?” she asked. She spun her yoyo in front of her as Hawk Moth bombarded her with a wave of butterfly-shaped magic bullets. “Never, not in a million years.”

“What?” Volpina and Chat said in unison. They glanced at each other, frowning.

“I know your secret, Hawk Moth,” she continued, glaring at him. Hawk Moth narrowed his eyes, gaze calculating as he increased the flow of magic bullets. “You don’t target Adrien because of Volpina, or even me. You just want him for _yourself!_ ”

The barrage of bullets ceased. Hawk Moth stared at Ladybug in open shock. “ _What?_ ”

“WHAT?!” Volpina shrieked.

Chat Noir put a hand over his mouth, suddenly feeling sick because _shit that made too much sense_.

Hawk Moth never tried to akumatize him. Even though he, as Adrien, upset people before, Hawk Moth never akumatized them either. The only akuma who’d ever gone after Adrien was Volpina and she _definitely_ didn’t want to hurt him. When it looked like an akuma might attack Adrien, suddenly, the telltale outline of a butterfly would appear over their face and the akuma would _mysteriously_ stop.

It wasn’t like Hawk Moth went out of his way to avoid hurting younger people. His first victim was _Ivan_. He akumatized the cute little girl Marinette babysat. Hawk Moth spared no mercy for children, if it would help him achieve his goals.

So, the only reason Hawk Moth would go out of his way to protect Adrien was because he _wanted_ to. And what a guy with Hawk Moth’s _upstanding moral character_ would want with Adrien Agreste, charming teen supermodel… well. None of the reasons Chat thought of were pretty.

“ _Dude_ , you’re old enough to be his _father_ ,” Chat said, with no small amount of horror.

Hawk Moth’s eyes snapped to his. Alarm and disgust swept over the man’s face, before finally settling into fury.

“ _ENOUGH_ of this _foolishness!_ ” Hawk Moth roared. “I refuse to be subjected to the petty squabbles and jealous imaginings of _children_ any longer! _You will give me your Miraculous!_ ”

“I won’t hand over _anything_ to you, Hawk Moth!” Ladybug yelled back. “Not my Miraculous and _definitely_ not Adrien!”

“That is _not_ —” Hawk Moth started to say, but Ladybug rushed forward, kicking away his cane.

Chat Noir watched them fight hand-to-hand, still trying to process the fact that _Hawk Moth had a thing for his civilian side ew ew ew EW!!!_

“Hey.”

Jumping, Chat turned to face Volpina. Who he 100% remembered was still there and still technically fighting. Yup.

“Truce?” she offered, adjusting her grip on her flute. Her eyes were glued to Hawk Moth, fox ears flat against her head as her mouth twisted in a grimace. “Until we take this creep down, at least.”

Chat Noir glanced back to see Hawk Moth dodging a punch from Ladybug and tried not to shudder. He was probably going to regret this, but… “Yeah, truce. Time to end this.”

  


* * *

  


**9\. it’s a trap**

After six months of nearly daily akuma attacks, Hawk Moth finally seemed to realize that his strategy wasn’t going to work. Chat Noir and Ladybug would shut him and his akuma down, every time.

So, Hawk Moth decided to switch it up. He akumatized Lila, the girl who hated Ladybug, over and over again. And even though Ladybug cleansed the akuma every time, Volpina remembered their battles. She gained experience in fighting Paris’ protectors, learned to counter their teamwork and anticipate their next move.

And Volpina, being who she was, was tricky. _Sneaky_. She and Hawk Moth never attacked them head-on anymore, not if they could help it. Instead of physical fights for the Miraculous, there were elaborate plans to steal them or have them given up, willingly or not. Anything that didn’t involve a direct confrontation.

Which must be why Adrien was shackled and gagged in an abandoned warehouse. He was supposed to be bait, dangled to draw out Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Adrien sighed through his nose and tried again to wiggle out of his restraints. He wished Plagg was here. When Volpina grabbed Adrien in his room, his kwami was left behind.

Their identities were supposed to stay secret. But, Adrien hoped Plagg went looking for Ladybug, to tell her that Hawk Moth hadn’t _just_ grabbed a random civilian. That Ladybug’s partner wouldn’t be there to back her up during the rescue.

Because his lady _would_ rescue him. Adrien believed that, down to his very _soul_.

Right on cue, the warehouse door burst open. Adrien’s heart soared when Ladybug’s silhouette appeared, poised in a combat stance.

Then it plummeted when Adrien saw who stood beside her.

“ _Adrien!_ ” Ladybug yelled, quickly running forward. “Chat, watch my back, I’ll get Adrien!”

“I always do, my lady,” said his imposter.

  


* * *

  


**10\. insecurities (gold and silver au)**

“… and then Alya, Nino, Marinette, and I decided to work on the project together, so I won’t be free until…”

Ladybug snuggled further into Adrien’s side, letting his voice wash over her as they sat together on his couch. She already knew what happened at school today (she was _there_ ) but… it was still nice, to hear him talk about it in his own words.

Adrien shifted his hold around her so he could press a soft kiss to her forehead. “Hey, you still awake?”

“Mmmm, yeah…” Ladybug mumbled. She rubbed her face against his chest, took in his familiar scent of cotton and soap, the hints of his cologne and his guilty love of cheese.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Ladybug could feel the breaths Adrien took, hear his heart beating against her ear. He was warm and solid and oh so wonderfully _real_.

“You don’t _sound_ awake,” Adrien said. He brushed back her bangs, fingertips trailing down the side of her face. “I’m not boring you, am I?”

“Never,” she replied dramatically. Adrien’s body shook as he chuckled.

Right now, things were good between them. _Great_ , even.

So, of course Ladybug’s anxiety chose this moment to bubble up.

“Are… are you?” she asked.

“Am I what?”

“B-bored. With… me.”

Adrien paused, long enough for cold dread to slither up from her gut, before finally saying, “ _What?_ ”

Ladybug pulled away and crossed her arms, gripping her forearms as she stared at her knees.

“Well, I mean, I can’t… I can’t tell you anything about me, I can’t go outside with you unless I’m disguised or it’s night, I can’t meet your friends or your family, I can’t do anything a normal girlfriend can, so it makes sense that you would get bored, _anyone_ would get bored, like what are you even getting out of this—”

“I’m getting _you_ ,” Adrien said. It felt like there was a vice clamped around Ladybug’s chest, squeezing tighter and tighter. She shut her eyes, biting her lip as Adrien put a hand on her shoulder.

“Look at me, Ladybug.” His other hand reached over to cradle her cheek, soft as his voice. “ _Please_.”

Ladybug let his hand turn her head until she faced him. When she opened her eyes, Adrien smiled.

“I love you,” he said, the words gentle and steady, like summer rain falling against an umbrella. “I want to be with you. If that means being a bit sneaky, I can deal.”

Adrien rested his forehead on hers, moving to hold her face in his hands. Untangling her arms, Ladybug grasped at his wrists, hardly able to breathe with the heavy weight of his gaze on her.

“I want to know everything about you,” he continued, stroking her cheeks. “But I can wait until it’s safe for you to tell me. Until you _want_ to tell me. And when that day comes, I’ll be more than happy to sit here and listen to you talk about every boring and not-boring day you had. Okay?”

Ladybug swallowed. Silently, she thanked Tikki for making her lucky enough to meet Adrien. “Y-yeah. Okay.”

His pleased grin was a sun, rising in her heart, warming everything that she was.

  


* * *

  


**11\. jealous fangirls/boys (gold and silver au)**

Adrien shouldered his way through the busy café, holding his hard-won spoils over his head until he made it back to their table.

The clatter of glass on wood and the scrape of his chair against the floor tiles drew Ladybug’s attention. She turned away from the window, an eyebrow rising above her sunglasses.

Once again, Adrien was struck by how cute Ladybug looked. The warm spring weather meant she returned his scarf, left her bulky coats at home. Today, Ladybug wore a blue sundress and white cardigan, trading in the beanie she used to hide her hair under for a wide, floppy sunhat.

But, more than that… Ladybug was wearing _make-up_. Which she hadn’t done for almost a year. Not since the first time she visited him after they agreed to date, when they were both still nervous and _desperate_ to make a good impression.

Ladybug’s lips—bright, candy red lips that popped against her pale skin tone—stuck out in a pout.

“Just one smoothie?” she asked, resting her chin on her hand. “Rude.”

Adrien wrenched his eyes up from her mouth and grinned.

“Ah, but I have—” He reached into his shirt, presenting, “— _two_ straws, my little cabbage.”

Ladybug’s elbow slipped, her face planting into the table. When she straightened up (after making sure her disguise was still intact, of course), her cheeks were flushed.

“That’s, um, I-I—” she started to say, but a voice interrupted her.

“Hey sis, isn’t that… the Gabriel guy?”

“Huh?”

“Look, he’s over there, that model you—”

“Oh, oh _shit_ , oh my _god_ —”

The two people at the table behind them started hissing at each other, obviously trying not to draw Adrien’s attention. He smiled sheepishly.

“Uh, sorry, I forgot that I was…” Adrien trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

Ladybug waved her hand. “No, it’s fine, it’s not your fault—”

“Aren’t you jealous that he’s with someone?” said the first voice, their volume rising again.

“Well, _duh_. But, I can’t blame her. He’s just so _handsome_ …” A dreamy sigh followed.

Adrien blushed, feeling more self-conscious than pleased. When he got compliments on his looks (as opposed to something he _actually_ worked hard at, like his skill with Mandarin or fencing), he… preferred them from people he knew. People he _liked_. Not complete strangers.

Maybe he should have worn a disguise too—

Ladybug’s hand snapped forward, gripping his shirt as she yanked him into a searing kiss.

Adrien’s thoughts evaporated when he tasted her lipstick. It made her lips drag against his instead of sliding like they usually did. He stifled the moan threatening to escape him and kissed her back just as hard, his hand rising to—

With a pop, the kiss broke too soon. Adrien’s eyes blinked open as Ladybug leaned back, smirking at something behind him. She wiped the edge of her lip because—holy _shit_ , her lipstick was smeared _out of place_.

That was… _this_ was…

His hand, he realized, was still frozen in mid-air.

Adrien hastily pulled it back, coughing into it as he tried to gather himself. Even so, heat blazed through him, warming him from head to toe.

Ladybug picked up the straws that fell from his kiss-slackened fingers. She unwrapped them, sticking them into the smoothie.

“Drink,” said Ladybug. She bent down to take a sip and Adrien quickly joined her, chocolate bursting in his mouth

When he straightened up again, Adrien fought to keep his reaction to a hard, dry swallow.

He’d left red lipstick on his straw.

  


* * *

  


**12\. “you have her smile”**

Ladybug grasped each disk of her yoyo and pulled them apart, watching as Tikki’s magic sprung up between the separated halves. It twisted and solidified, forming a glowing, pink staff.

She grabbed it in her hands, gritting her teeth as she swiped it through Alya’s startled face.

The illusion dissipated. Volpina’s haunting laugh echoed through the catacombs.

Chat Noir was gone, needing to recharge after using Cataclysm to break free of the rubble Volpina dropped on them. For now, Ladybug was on her own.

Just her, Volpina, and the grinning skull walls built between them.

Ladybug paid close attention to her surroundings as she made her way though the dim, centuries-old tunnels. Volpina, thankfully, didn’t have Chat Noir’s night vision and was forced to light her path with orbs of foxfire. As Ladybug followed Volpina’s trail, she could hear water dripping into a puddle on the floor, her own muffled footfalls… and the scuff of a shoe against stone.

She rushed to the next intersection, brandishing the weapon in her hand

“Show yourself!” Ladybug yelled. Cold sweat trickled down her back.

Who would Volpina’s illusion be this time? Nino? Mme Bustier?

…Her parents?

No. None of them.

The person who stepped out of the shadows was… _Adrien_.

“H-hey, Ladybug,” he said, smiling nervously. “Funny seeing you here.”

Yes, it was funny. Because it was so very plausible, for Paris’ top teen model to end up in its catacombs with her and Volpina.

 _Not_.

Ladybug’s grip on her staff tightened. She should get rid of the illusion _now_ , before Volpina attacked her while she was distracted.

Now.

_Get rid of him now._

“I got, uh… lost. _Really_ lost, haha,” said Adrien, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ladybug’s hold faltered. He was just a fake, an illusion. She _had_ to attack him. Just… attack him and he’ll be gone. Attack him and she could focus on finding Volpina—

“Are you—?” Adrien began to say. But he took a step forward and Ladybug hastily retreated, pointing the staff directly at him.

“D-don’t come any closer!” she yelped. Where was Chat, she needed Chat, he could always tell when someone was real or fake, _where was he?!_

Adrien gaped at her, hand still outstretched. He pulled it back, his shock melting into understanding.

“It’s… it’s me, Ladybug. Adrien Agreste. I promise you, I’m real.”

“Prove it!” Ladybug snapped. “Tell me…!” She racked her brain, trying to think of something only she and Adrien would know, that Volpina wouldn’t. “Tell me what you said to me, about… about your mother. On the day we met.”

Even through the eerie glow of foxfire, Ladybug could see the blush rising in Adrien’s face. “You… you have her smile,” he said quietly.

Ladybug nearly sagged with relief. Adrien was real.

Adrien… oh hell, _Adrien was real_.

Tense again, Ladybug quickly strode forward, collapsing her staff back into her yoyo as she went.

“What are you—hey! _Put me down!_ ”

Making sure Adrien was secure in her arms, Ladybug started running towards the exit.

Volpina would just have to wait. Adrien’s safety was way, _way_ more important than any akuma.

  


* * *

  


**13\. gabriel | hawkmoth’s reaction**

Shadows clung to the staircase, cut only by the moonlight illuminating the steps. Gabriel descended it, deep in his plans.

Over a year of akuma attacks and _still_ the Miraculous he needed eluded him. More than once, success was almost his… only to be snatched away by _children_.

Gabriel needed a new strategy. Something that would sidestep Ladybug’s intuition and quick-thinking.

Perhaps he should just take the risk. If the next akuma Hawk Moth created targeted _Gabriel Agreste_ … Ladybug and Chat Noir would appear to protect him.

Which meant their Miraculous would be within his reach—

Gabriel frowned as he reached his destination.

“Why are you awake at this hour, Adrien?” he asked.

Immediately, Adrien tensed and spun around wildly. “F-father! Hey! What.. _what brings you here?!_ ”

“You haven’t answered my question,” Gabriel said, eyes narrowing.

Adrien crossed his arms and let out a stilted laugh. “Oh, you know just… going to the washroom. Yup.”

There was something… off about his son’s behaviour. But, Gabriel had more pressing matters to attend to.

“If you’re quite finished—” Gabriel began, reaching for the handle, but Adrien slid between his hand and the door.

“ _Don’t go in!_ It, uh, it… needs a couple of minutes.” He laughed again, high and strained. “Shouldn’t have had that last slice of pizza, huh?”

Gabriel bristled. “Adrien Aurélien Agreste, _have you been cheating on your diet?_ ”

“UM—”

The washroom door opened and Ladybug stepped out, wearing nothing but a mask, one of Adrien’s old shirts, and a pair of his boxers. She froze, her pupils shrinking in fear.

Ladybug’s Miraculous was black in its dormant state. She was also involved with Gabriel’s son.

Grabbing the earrings off her now would tip his hand far too soon, when he still needed to locate the ring. She had access to his home, so he needed to be more careful about where he stored the book and the two Miraculous in his possession.

He could use this. Somehow. And he would _not_ imagine how those marks on her neck came to be. He would endure and prevail—

“Father? Are you… okay?” Adrien asked tentatively. Gabriel gathered himself and cleared his throat.

“Adrien, you will see your… _guest_ out, then join me in my office. We need to have a…. _discussion_.”

“… Yes, Father.”

Gabriel forced himself to turn his back on Ladybug and her Miraculous. He needed a new plan. One that unfortunately required more information before it could be fully formed.

How long had Adrien carried out this affair without his knowledge? How serious were they about it? Was Ladybug seeing more than one person? Could this be a weakness he could exploit?

… If Adrien was that one weakness, could he use his son, _her_ only child, to achieve his goals?

He meant to leave Adrien out of this messy business, to keep his son protected until his wife returned safely to their home. But, it seemed the boy was determined to throw himself into the thick of things. As usual.

Gabriel sat at his desk and waited, thinking of Ladybug and Adrien and the cost of victory.

… And then he stood up again, remembering why he ventured towards the washroom in the first place.

  


* * *

  


**14\. it’s not you, it’s my enemies (enemies au)**

“We need to stop meeting like this,” said Ladybug. She landed herself and the boy she rescued on a nearby rooftop, winding up her yoyo again with a flick of her wrist.

“Yeah, we do,” he muttered. He set a hand on his hip as he scowled and glanced away, his pose more at home on a magazine cover than any… where…

Wait.

“I know you,” she said slowly. The boy tensed and turned to face her, worry radiating off him.

“Y-you do?”

Ladybug snapped her fingers and pointed at him. “You’re Adrien Agreste, right? The model?”

“Oh.” He sighed, shoulders slumping as he rubbed his arm. “Yeah, that’s… me.”

She couldn’t fathom how she didn’t recognize him sooner. Not with the way Chloé had ranted for a solid week about him ditching her. The seat beside Nino, the one Chloé specifically saved for Adrien on the first day of school, was still empty.

“Well, tell your dad that I’m a _huge_ fan of his work,” said Ladybug, tossing him a wink, a grin, and a two-fingered salute.

… With the way Adrien was staring blankly at her, maybe she should stop taking inspiration from Alya’s Majestia comics.

“Alright, time to go deal with the akuma!” Ladybug turned away, yoyo in hand. “Stay safe—!”

Adrien’s hand dropped heavily on her shoulder. “ _Wait_ , you—”

Ladybug turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. Adrien seemed to falter, his fingers digging into her armour as his face turned a blotchy red.

“You're—I—you really—” He broke off again, his stuttered words devolving into a growl of frustration.

Why did the way he act seem so… familiar…?

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Ladybug took Adrien’s hand in hers, smiling as he froze, his eyes riveted to their joined hands. She knew how to handle this sort of thing better now.

“I’m flattered, I really am,” she said. “But I have too many enemies and too little time to date anyone right now.”

“What,” said Adrien.

She reached up to pat his cheek. “You’re cute and sensitive and you seem like a nice guy. I’m sure you’ll make someone very happy one day. Good luck!”

Ladybug let go of Adrien and leaped off the roof, yoyo streaking out in front of her.

  


* * *

  


Plagg stuck his head out of his holder’s shirt, grinning wildly.

“Wow, you and Ladybug! Told you it would happen. Especially with that body pillow you have of her—”

“It’s a _punching bag_ , you little cretin!” his holder hissed. “And if you breathe a word of this, to _anyone_ , you’ll be eating processed cheese for the rest of your miserable existence.”

Knowing that his newest and incredibly hot-tempered holder would probably try it, Plagg kept to quiet snickers.

Hey, he and Nooroo had to get their kicks from _somewhere_. Otherwise, this whole slavery thing would be a total drag.

  


* * *

  


**15\. secret dating (gold and silver au)**

With a leap, Adrien dodged the strawberry. Ducking, he dodged the vanilla. Rolling to the side, he dodged… right into the giant scoop of chocolate ice cream.

Darn it.

“Looks like I finally stopped you cold!” screamed General Neapolitan. The short man in a white, nineteenth-century military uniform readied his giant ice cream scooper, more ice cream forming in it as Adrien struggled in vain to escape.

His death was going to taste like green tea. _Great_.

“Time to ice you,” the akuma said. He swung his scoop behind him and flung hard, only for the scooper to be knocked aside by a red-clad foot.

The ice cream missile careened out of control, landing beside Adrien’s chocolate prison. He let out a sigh of relief.

“Sir, you need to cool down,” said Ladybug, falling into a battle-ready stance. General Neapolitan quickly recovered and clutched his giant scooper to his chest.

“Every great leader must know when to make… a strategic retreat!”

In one smooth movement, General Neapolitan hurtled another gigantic scoop of ice cream into the air—butter caramel this time—and swung his scooper around to rest on his shoulder, the end of the handle pointing at the ice cream. He cocked it and the scooper handle shot out a stream of liquid chocolate. It coated the gigantic ball of ice cream, forming a hard shell on contact.

The akuma jumped up as the chocolate-covered ice cream boulder hit the ground. He landed on top of it and began rolling away with a maniacal laugh, crushing cars and bikes alike as he sped through Paris’ streets.

“That guy needs to take a chill pill,” Adrien said. The exasperated look Ladybug shot him was totally worth it.

She rushed over to where Adrien’s head was sticking out of the scoop of chocolate ice cream, uncoiling her yoyo string as she went. “And _you_ need a gag… Uh. Civilian. That I’ve definitely never met.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow as Ladybug positioned the taut string, pointedly looking away from him. _That_ was how she was going to play it, huh?

Looks like it was time to bust out the old Agreste charm.

“Pretty forward for a first meeting, don’t you think?” Adrien asked, watching with barely contained glee as Ladybug’s hands twitched violently. The clean slice she made to cut apart the ice cream was ruined, the edge curving away in the centre as Ladybug pulled back.

“Th-that's—!” She shoved the hunk of chocolate ice cream to the side, starting to cut again from Adrien’s stomach. “That is _not_ being forward.”

“Oh?” Adrien felt a little breathless as Ladybug’s eyes snapped up to his. “Then why don’t you educate me?”

She rose gracefully, kicking away the block of ice cream she freed from his front. Adrien’s arms were still trapped at his sides, so he could do nothing as she scooped up some ice cream on her finger and dotted it on his nose.

“I don’t think you could handle it, handsome,” Ladybug said, looking amused as Adrien stared cross-eyed at the tip of his nose.

No _way_ was she going to win this. Not this time.

Tongue darting out, Adrien licked away the ice cream on his nose. Smug satisfaction—along with the taste of rich chocolate—flooded through him as Ladybug’s eyes dilated, her gaze stuck on his mouth as he wet his lips.

Adrien hoped she remembered how they spent last night together. In his room. Alone.

 _He_ certainly did.

“I’m willing to take some remedial lessons… if you’re willing to teach me,” he said, smirking.

“I—”

“Dude,” Nino interrupted. “I love you, but I’m right here and I’m lactose-intolerant. Please turn off your _apparently incredible game_ until Ladybug saves us.”

…Right. Nino was trapped by General Neapolitan’s ice cream before Adrien was. And his friend had a front row seat.

“Sorry!” Ladybug squeaked. “Sorry, I’ll just, um—” His lady hurried to Nino’s side, yoyo string ready in her hands.

Adrien knew he’d be fine on his own. The heat radiating from his _massive blush_ would melt him free.

  


* * *

  


**16\. window kisses**

Only four minutes left.

Ladybug swung faster, knowing she was less than a minute away from home. Still, Tikki always seemed _that_ much more tired whenever Ladybug let the timer tick all the way down to zero, instead of releasing the transformation earli—

Was that… Adrien?

Pausing on a rooftop near the back of the Agreste mansion, Ladybug looked again.

There, to the right of his room. A window, with a little balcony set underneath it.

And hanging on for dear life from the railing was Adrien _oh crud_ —

Ladybug jumped before she even really thought about it, landing on the balcony and gripping Adrien’s wrists. He looked up at her, mouth falling open in shock.

“ _Ladybug?!_ ”

“I got you!” she called back. “I got you, hold on—!” With a heave, she pulled him up. Unfortunately, Ladybug forgot how strong she was at the moment and _yanked_ poor Adrien towards her instead. They overbalanced, ending up in a heap on top of his dresser.

Ladybug grasped Adrien’s shoulders, pushing him up enough so that she could inspect him. “I’m sorry, I’m _so_ sorry, are you okay, are you hurt—”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Adrien said. He got off her and helped her up, brushing off his clothes. “I just ran out of time.”

“Time?” Ladybug tried to stay calm, even as Adrien continued _holding her hand_. “For what?”

“UUUUUUUH—for—for saying… hello! To you! Ladybug!!”

“Ah, what—?”

His hand squeezing hers was the only warning Ladybug had before Adrien bent down and kissed her on the cheek. And then, with his breath fanning across her skin, his nose almost brushing hers, he kissed the other.

Pulling back, Adrien smiled sheepishly. “And, um, thanks. For saving my tail.”

Ladybug forcibly swallowed a noise that would _not_ have sounded human.

  


* * *

  


**17\. late for class**

Marinette was indifferent to the fact that Adrien didn’t show up for homeroom. No strong feelings about interrogating Nino, who hadn’t heard anything from his best friend. Totally blasé about sneaking into her school’s administration office and learning there was no excuse on file to explain his absence. Nothing to read into her skipping class to transform into Ladybug and rushing to check on Adrien herself.

“There’s definitely no way he’s been kidnapped, right?” Ladybug asked herself, landing on top of the Agreste mansion.

Anxiety swirled unpleasantly in her gut as she tied her yoyo around the roof’s railing. Slowly, she lowered herself down the side.

Peeking through Adrien’s windows, she spotted a lump under the bed’s blankets that seemed Adrien-sized. Ladybug worried her lip, and then gently eased open the pane in front of her.

‘ _You’re breaking and entering!_ ’ a suspiciously Tikki-sounding thought shouted in her head.

‘ _What does that matter if Adrien’s in trouble?!_ ’ the rest of Ladybug yelled back.

She silently approached the bed, and then carefully pulled the covers off the shivering lump.

A pyjama-clad Adrien huddled in a ball underneath, sweat-slick hair plastered to his flushed skin. He flinched back from the light hitting his face, turning his head to squint up at her.

“L-Lady…?” he rasped. He dropped the rest of her name like he was too exhausted to finish it.

“You’re sick?” Ladybug asked, before her eyes widened, the implications hitting her like a baton in the stomach. “ _Ohmygoshyou’resickyoucan’tbeherebyyourselfwho’stakingcareofyou_ —?”

“M’fine,” Adrien lied. “Jus’ tired.”

“You’re _not_ fine,” she began sharply, only for her words to disappear when he reached up to hold her hand.

“Stay?” he asked, weakly pulling her closer. “Please?”

Ladybug let herself be drawn in, smoothing her palm over his burning forehead. Adrien let out a pleased hum, looking so grateful for that small scrap of comfort—from a _stranger_ , no less—that Ladybug forgot how late she was going to be for class. She forgot the excuses she’d have to make to Alya and her parents, forgot the exasperated looks Tikki would shoot her for selfishly using her powers.

“Okay,” said Ladybug, and then promptly forgot her own name when she witnessed Adrien’s sleepy smile.

  


* * *

  


**18\. alya’s notp**

When someone sent in the link to the celebrity gossip article with _that_ picture in it, Alya immediately ran out of her house, already calling Marinette on speed dial.

“Do _not_ google Adrien or Ladybug until I get there!” Alya ordered as soon as she heard the phone pick up. She ran down the street, hoping to get to Marinette’s place before—

“Too late,” Marinette replied, voice faint, and Alya cursed.

Finally reaching her destination, Alya flung open the bakery door, shouted “Hi Mme Cheng Hi M. Dupain gottatalktoMarinette_byeeeeeee!_” as she shot past the startled customers to reach the house part of the building, took the three flights of stairs two steps at a time, slammed open the trap door to Marinette’s room, and froze at the sight of Marinette curling into herself in front of her computer screen.

A screen which very clearly showed a photo of Ladybug kissing Adrien.

“Oh, Marinette,” Alya sighed. She walked over to her best friend, pulling up a chair next to Marinette, and pulling her into a hug. “Ladybug doesn’t hold a candle to you, girl. You’ll snatch Adrien right up from under her nose.”

Marinette let out a laugh that was on the worrying side of hysterical, burying her head in Alya’s shoulder.

“You don’t believe me?” Alya asked, and petted Marinette when she shook her head no, face and hands still pressed into Alya’s shirt. “Okay, tell me—who’s the one who keeps showering Adrien in gifts?”

“Me,” came the muffled reply.

“Who’s the one who shares Adrien’s taste in music and video games?” Alya continued.

“Me.”

“Who’s the one who destroyed their classmates’ dreams of fame and glory to get a chance at Adrien?”

Marinette snorted before answering, “Me.”

“Who went from snubbing Adrien to completely denying any feelings for him to practising kissing with his magazine photos in _one week?_ ”

Lifting her head, Marinette glared at Alya with a blush that reached the tips of her ears. “Alya, you promised you wouldn’t bring that up!!”

“Marinette, as the funniest thing I’ve ever witnessed, it’s definitely going into my maid of honour speech at your and Adrien’s wedding.”

Groaning at Alya’s snickers, Marinette leaned back in her chair, sliding her eyes to the side to stare at the photo of Ladybug and Adrien.

“She kissed him because he saved someone from an akuma,” Alya offered.

“I know,” says Marinette, before she stiffens. “U-uh because of the article! That I totally read!!” she said, waving her hands.

Alya nodded, trying to think of what else she could say to assure Marinette that all hope wasn’t lost.

Ladybug was an actual, honest-to-goodness _superhero_ , and Adrien seemed _really_ into that kiss, if the after photo of him on knees as he watched Ladybug swing away was any indication.

“Ladybug may have her Lucky Charms, but you got _me_ ,” Alya finally said, resting her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “And believe me, whatever else Ladybug has, it’s nothing compared to _you_ , girl. You’re one of the best people I’ve ever met, and Adrien is going to fall for you the second you get his attention.”

“Alya…,” Marinette began, sniffing. “You’re pretty amazing too.” She clenched her hands in front of her in determined little fists. It was as inspiring as it was adorable. “Okay! It’s decided! I’ll keep trying to get him to notice me as Marinette!”

“Yeah!” Alya cheered.

“And I’ll definitely print out that photo of Ladybug and Adrien!”

“Y-yeah?”

“And keep it with me for whenever I need inspiration!!”

“Uh…”

By the time Alya gathered her thoughts, Marinette was already halfway to printing the photo.

  


* * *

  


**19\. identity slip up**

Adrien spent years daydreaming and pining, yet he still never imagined his first kiss would be stolen after being shoved into a janitor’s closet.

Not that he had any complaints.

Especially not with Ladybug pressing him against the wall and untucking his shirt, her cool hands running along his stomach as her lips warmed his.

Touching her, _kissing her_ , was like everything else about her: an inviting softness that gave way to a determined, solid core when put under pressure. Adrien wound his fingers in her hair in an attempt to ground himself, to settle the quakes in his heart and his body.

But all that effort collapsed under the weight of Ladybug’s attention. She groaned into his mouth as their kiss went from chaste to deep, the slick heat of it leaving him dizzy—

“Which way did she go?!”

“Alya, wait up! Ugh, I need to lay off the potatoes…”

Hearing his friends’ voices as they ran past was enough for the spell to lift. Ladybug pulled away just as suddenly as she pushed him in, a hand covering her mouth as she stared at him with glazed eyes and red cheeks.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” she whisper screamed.

Adrien licked his lips ( _god_ , he could still _taste_ her) and dropped his suddenly empty hands to his side.

“I’m not complaining,” he managed to say. It _ached_ trying to hold back everything he wanted to tell her, _do_ to her.

He recognized that same ache in her gaze as it burned him from head to toe, her thumb caught between her teeth as she mulled over the mess she made of him.

“You’re so pretty, it should be illegal,” she muttered, quiet enough that he nearly missed it.

But _nearly_ wasn’t _completely_ , like the way Adrien went _completely_ weak at her words and _nearly_ fell into a swoon right then and there.

He steadied himself against the wall, trying to swallow down his pounding heart.

(It didn’t work.)

“Aren’t superheroes also vigilantes?” Adrien asked. Then he mentally kicked himself for the slip.

In his defence, it was hard to think clearly in his lady’s presence—doubly so when her game changing focus was set on him.

Ladybug’s eyes hooded as the smirk that brought the ruin of akuma and men alike settled on her lips.

“You’re right,” she purred, walking forward with the dangerous, easy grace of a lioness. Adrien felt trapped in the best of ways when she wrapped her arms around his waist and nosed the length of his neck.

“I-I am?” he croaked, shuffling his feet as Ladybug parted his legs with her _thigh_.

“Of course, kitty,” she said, grinning at his dropped jaw (when did she figure him out?!) before getting on her tiptoes to kiss along it. He shivered and clutched at her waist. “And since I’m already a criminal…I might as well try stealing your heart.”

Ladybug kissed him before Adrien could tell her she already had.

  


* * *

  


**20\. love spell | potion (fanning the flames au)**

When Ladybug dropped in through Adrien’s window, pink eyes lighting up when they landed on him, Adrien _knew_ there was going to be trouble.

“Adrieeeeen~” Ladybug crooned, her hands folded over her heart.

Adrien looked at the reporter on his TV breaking the story of an akuma nearby, and then back at the deliriously happy Ladybug.

“Hi Ladybug,” he said, cautiously. “Um, not that it isn’t nice to see you, but there’s an akuma—”

“Matchmaker is wonderful, isn’t she?” she sighed, and _that_ set alarm bells ringing in Adrien’s mind. “She showed me the light at the end of a long, lonely tunnel.”

“Ooo_kay_,” said Adrien. He got up from the couch and started edging towards the door. “I think I need to—”

“Don’t go~”

Ladybug began walking towards him as Adrien stumbled back. She looked…well, she looked at him like he always _wanted_ her to look at him.

“It would be a shame for you to leave so soon!” she chirped, latching onto his arm like Chloé always did. Which sort of brought home the fact that this _wasn’t_ Ladybug, not really. “I _really_ want to get to know my soulmate better~” she continued.

(— _this wasn’t Ladybug, this wasn’t Ladybug_ —)

“S-Soulmate?” Adrien repeated blankly.

Ladybug smiled at him, dreamy and soft in a way that made his traitorous heart skip.

“Yes…you’re my soulmate…,” she said, leaning towards him. Her hand reached up to his face, fingers brushing against his hot cheeks before drifting down to trace his bottom lip. “The person I love most in the _whole world_ …”

(— _THISWASN’TLADYBUGTHISWASN’TLADYBUG_ —)

“I love you so much, Adrien,” she sighed, gliding her fingers over his tight jaw, his bobbing Adam’s apple, before drawing mindless circles on his too-full chest. “I can’t stop thinking about you…so tell me…do you at least…”

Ladybug’s pretty pink blush matched her pretty pink eyes as they fluttered up at him.

“Do you _like_ me, Adrien?” she finally asked, her voice a low croon that left him trembling with how much he wanted to—

Tearing away with what little willpower he had left, Adrien yelled, “Ihavetotakeacoldshower!!” before bolting into his bathroom.

He slammed the sliding doors shut, barricading it with a plunger. He ran further in, closing the glass doors of the shower area behind him, and climbed the steps of his bathtub to hide in the corner.

Plagg flew out of his shirt and shot him a smirk. “Oh la la~”

“Just transform me,” Adrien muttered sourly. He tried to will down the heat prickling through his body as Plagg’s cool magic wrapped around him. “I have to break this spell on Ladybug…”

Preferably before his lovesick heart gave out from stress.

  


* * *

  


**21\. desperate kiss (based on @crispypata’s[akuma oc](http://crispypata.tumblr.com/post/168096841180/very-needed-update-to-one-of-my-akumasonas))**

Camellia’s outfit was… _pretty_.

Ladybug was exasperated with the part of her that was mentally taking notes. A flirty, orange dress with cream and brown accents, matching hat, gloves, necklace, shoes…put together, it was an elegant fusion of English tea dresses and lolita style, the perfect uniform for someone handing out tea samples.

No wonder no one had realized Camellia was an akuma.

Tearing her eyes away from the akuma and her adoring crowd of golden-eyed, brainwashed servants, Ladybug ducked back into the alley and turned to Nino.

“What did you learn?” she asked her spy.

Nino’s naturally golden eyes lit up with excitement.

“A bunch,” he began. “ _Lady_ Camellia can order around everyone who drinks her tea, but over-steeped tea seems to reverse the effect. She kinda flipped out over it. She also went nuts when Marinette’s—uh, the baker from Tom  & Sabine brought lemon squares for that giant tea party she’s trying to organize.”

Ladybug brought a hand to her chin, trying to ignore the twinge of anger and worry at the reminder that her parents were caught under the akuma’s spell too.

“Over-steeped tea and lemon squares…what’s the connection between them…?” she muttered, then blinked in surprise when Nino held out a zip bag of lemon slices.

“I couldn’t figure it out, but anything that can throw off the akuma is good news, right?”

Ladybug laughed and took the bag.

“Thanks for the help,” she said warmly, grinning as a pleased-looking Nino fidgeted with his hat.

  


* * *

  


Bitter and sour—taste was the connection. Camellia was an akuma who was all about sharing sweet food and tea, of course her weakness would be tied to tastes that people tended to dislike.

Unfortunately, even with the information Nino helped glean, Ladybug’s first assault on Camellia went badly. Chat Noir _still_ hadn’t shown up yet, and the akuma had pretty much all of Paris working for her at this point. While most of them were setting up a city-wide tea party, Camellia had no qualms throwing hordes of brainwashed servants at Ladybug.

It was bad luck that Ladybug managed to shake all of them but the one she wanted to hurt the _least_.

“Lady Camellia wants those earrings!” Adrien said, gold-eyed and determined as he cornered her in an alley. “And whatever my Lady wants, she _gets_.”

There was something fundamentally _irritating_ about the way he spoke about the akuma.

“ _I bet you’re jealous_ ~” said the voice that had been nagging Ladybug since she first ran into brainwashed-Adrien. The voice was the inner thoughts she was trying to repress, no doubt

…Granted, they didn’t usually sound like a smarmy, old man, but then Adrien wasn’t usually swearing undying loyalty to an akuma.

“ _You can break the spell_ ,” said the voice as Ladybug dodged Adrien’s lunge. “ _You just need to get something sour in his mouth_.”

The voice was right—Adrien didn’t deserve to be brainwashed like this. And while she lost her yoyo to Camellia during her escape, she still had Nino’s bag of lemon slices.

“ _With your mouth_ ,” the voice continued, and her face burned, but—

Adrien tried to tackle her again, and Ladybug knew she might only have one shot at this.

She stuffed a lemon slice between her teeth and caught Adrien in a hug, squeezing him so tight that it made him gasp. Her head darted forward, their lips colliding as she shoved the lemon slice into his open mouth.

( _WHY DID EVERY KISS SHE HAVE INVOLVE BREAKING AN AKUMA’S SPELL??_ )

Adrien’s face twisted at the taste, his gold eyes flickering back to green before widening comically. She pulled away from his (warm, soft) lips when he started to choke.

“Are you okay?!” Ladybug asked frantically, letting him go as he bent over and spit out the lemon slice.

“Fine,” he wheezed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, then leaving it there as his face turned red. “A-ah, th-that, um, was…that…?”

Ladybug could feel herself blush as well, the enormity of what she’d just done catching up to her.

“ _She messed you up good, kid_ ,” the voice laughed, _right next to Ladybug’s ear_.

Turning her head sharply in alarm, she missed the black kwami flying out from behind her and zipping into Adrien’s shirt.

  


* * *

  


**22\. sacrifice (fanning the flames au)**

When Chat Noir snuck out of his bathroom window and re-entered through his bedroom window, Ladybug was _not_ where he left her.

Instead, she was lying on his bed, hugging one of his pillows to her chest and…sniffing it?

“Uh…Ladybug?” he asked.

Ladybug sat up quickly, her heart-stoppingly brilliant smile falling into a pout when she saw him.

“Oh, I thought you were my Adrien,” she sighed, putting Chat’s fears that Matchmaker’s magic could negate the Miraculous’ to rest. Then she fell on her front, burying her nose in his pillow again. “He’s taking a shower right now. He’s just so…so…”

“So?” Chat croaked.

“ _Clean_ ,” she finished dreamily, kicking her feet in glee.

Even the part of Chat that was really, really, _really_ liking this development thought that this was getting weird.

“Look, Ladybug, we really need to do something about Matchmaker—” he began, walking closer to her, but Ladybug started shaking her head.

“I’m not leaving without my Adrien,” she said. “How can I leave my soulmate behind?”

Chat _had_ to break this spell.

He tapped his chin in thought before the obvious occurred to him. “Hey, would you cast Lucky Charm for me?”

If she cast Miraculous Ladybug, the spell would restore her to normal—

“No,” said Ladybug. “I’d run out of power, and then Adrien won’t know I’m Ladybug, and he won’t know I’m his soulmate, and I can’t tell him because it would put him in danger, and then he’ll marry _Chloé_ and have beautiful, awful babies together, and they won’t be like Emma or Hugo or Louis _at all_ —”

“Okay, okay!” Chat interrupted, hands up in surrender. “I get it!”

(He didn’t get it.)

“What if…what if _Adrien_ asked you to cast Lucky Charm, and then Miraculous Ladybug? Would you do it?” he asked instead.

Ladybug perked up. “I’d do _anything_ for him~”

That… _probably_ wasn’t supposed to be as suggestive as it sounded. Cheeks hot, Chat clapped his hands together.

“Great! I, uh, need to go. Do. Something. Somewhere else,” he said.

Ladybug hummed in response, turning away her pink eyes to stare at his bathroom door. Chat awkwardly climbed out the window and used his baton to get back into his bathroom.

A moment later, Adrien walked out with his hair dry and in exactly the same clothes.

“ADRIEN!” yelled Ladybug, hopping off his bed. “I’m so glad you’re done your shower~”

“Yup, totally done!” he lied. “Um, Ladybug, would you cast Lucky Charm for me?”

Ladybug nodded happily. “Of course! _Lucky Charm!_ ”

With a toss of her yoyo, the Lucky Charm was created and fell in to her hands as…a framed photo of _Adrien_.

“Exactly what I needed,” she declared before snuggling it to her face.

And then she _kissed_ it.

Plagg shook with snickers in Adrien’s pocket, and Adrien told himself, yet again, that this was _not_ Ladybug.

“C-can…” He paused to swallow as Ladybug turned her attention to his actual self.

(There was a part of him that was shouting because _he was giving up his chance to be with Ladybug_ , but this _wasn’t_ Ladybug. Matchmaker’s magic wasn’t the same magic of Ladybug wearing her awe-inspiring bravery like a cloak, protecting the self-conscious girl underneath. It wasn’t Ladybug’s knife-sharp smirk or the fond roll of her eyes or her firm knuckles bumping against his.

More than anything, Adrien wanted his partner _back_.)

“Can you use Miraculous Ladybug?” he asked, quietly, smiling with relief when she does.

(And if Adrien was being honest…the unprecedented levels of Ladybug’s embarrassment when she returns to normal is its own, _adorable_ kind of magic.)

  


* * *

  


**23\. rumours (continuation of @badlydrawnmlcomics’[fancomic](http://ladrienintensifies.tumblr.com/post/164143701581/badlydrawnmlcomics-nino-doesnt-get-paid-enough))**

Nino thought he was used to the chaos that results when Alya locks on to someone that _is absolutely Ladybug, I swear I’m right this time just trust me!!_

But then Alya posts her latest interview with Paris’ superheroes, and Nino knows he’ll have to act fast.

Luckily, it’s a Monday morning. Nino finishes watching the interview before Adrien arrives at school and steps out of his limo. It gives Nino enough time to run over and shove Adrien back in.

Sprawled across the seats, Adrien gapes as Nino scrambles into the limo and shuts the door behind him.

“What the— _Nino?!_ ”

“Drive, Gorilla!” Nino shouts.

Adrien’s bodyguard sighs, locks the doors, and slowly pulls back onto the road.

“Dude, what the heck is going on?” Adrien asks, sitting back up and straightening his rumpled clothes.

“You’ll thank me later,” Nino assures him. It looks like Adrien’s bodyguard is doing a slow lap of their neighbourhood. Taking this chance, Nino pulls out his phone and replays Alya’s interview for Adrien.

When the video ends with Chat Noir running for the bathroom, Adrien looks about a third as worried and flattered as he should be.

“I’m happy that she— _they_ said those nice things about me,” Adrien says. “But I’m not sure why you couldn’t show this at school.”

Nino stares at him in disbelief. “Bro. _Bro_. Are you seriously not getting it?!”

“Getting what?”

Heaving out a long sigh, Nino slumps against the seat and adjusts his hat in thought.

“Okay, first of all, Alya was clearly using that interview to try and get proof that you’re secretly Ladybug.”

“I’M NOT—” Adrien pauses and then squints at Nino. “Wait, did you say Ladybug? She thought I was _Ladybug?_ ”

“I know, right?” agrees Nino, shaking his head. “If we stayed at school, she’d probably grill you directly.”

“Fair enough. And reason number two?”

Nino side-eyes Adrien, eyebrow raised. Adrien raises one back, clueless.

Silence reigns between them.

“Dude, seriously, what is it?!” Adrien finally huffs, crossing his arms.

Oh god. He really is clueless.

“…Ladybug and Chat Noir called you, and I quote, “super great”, “swell”, “handsome”, and “dreamy”, along with some suspiciously specific denial of having a crush on you,” says Nino.

Adrien’s cheeks pink. “S-so?”

“ _So_ , whether or not they _do_ have a crush on you, there are rumours flying that they’re fighting each other for the right to date you,” Nino explains.

“What,” says Adrien.

“Civil War gifs are already deployed,” Nino continues.

“ _What_.”

Nino claps a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “And now everyone hates you for stealing the hearts of Paris’ most eligible bachelor and bachelorette. So. I thought you should have a heads up before charging into the lion’s den, whiiiich is why we’re here.” Nino pats Adrien’s shoulder. “It was nice knowing you, bro.”

Adrien, predictably, drops his head in his hands and muffles a groan.

  


* * *

  


**24\. ultimatum**

Biting his claws, Chat Noir watched anxiously as Alec Cataldi plucked the envelope from its slot.

“And the correct price of a bag of coffee beans is… €13!” Alec declared, dashing Chat’s hopes. “Since Chat’s guess was over by €20, he’s disqualified, and Ladybug moves on to the Final Ultimatum!”

Chat sagged at the loss, quickly recovering by tossing the game show’s audience a grin and a wave. Turning to Ladybug, he bumped his knuckles against hers before leaning in.

“Good luck, Ladybug!” he said. Her smile sharp with mischief, she tossed him a wink.

“I’m made of it,” she replied, and Chat’s smile widened in turn.

Ladybug always did look best when she was on the cusp of victory.

Ducking into the studio’s backstage, Chat Noir watched as Alec steered Ladybug under the spotlight.

“Today’s Final Ultimatum is… Truth or Dare!” Alec announced. The audience cheered and wolf-whistled as people in animal costumes rolled out two spinning wheels. “Ladybug will spin either the Truth Wheel or the Dare Wheel. If she answers truthfully or completes the dare, she’ll win an extra €10,000 for the charity of her choice!”

Ladybug tapped her chin theatrically before pointing. “I pick Dare!”

“What a _daring_ move!” said Alec. “And if you’ll spin the wheel, please…”

Walking up to Dare Wheel, Ladybug grabbed a handle and spun it hard. Lights flashed around the edges of the wheel before it slowed to a stop. Chat Noir snickered as Ladybug frowned at her result.

“Looks like Ladybug will have to ‘prank call a celebrity’!” declared Alec. “Earlier, we asked our studio audience which celebrity they’d like to prank most. After tallying up the results, the majority voted for—!”

As Alec gestured to the TV mounted behind him, Chat stiffened when he saw his own picture flash on the screen.

“—the model, Adrien Agreste!” Alec finished.

With a high-pitched “GOTTAGOBATHROOM” to the set workers milling backstage, Chat quickly located the nearest empty closet. One twist of the lock and a detransformation later, Adrien was staring at his cellphone.

“You know what would be the best prank? Buying all the cheese in France and giving it to me,” said Plagg, settling on Adrien’s shoulder.

Quickly shushing his grumbling kwami, Adrien went back to staring at the display, amusement and anxiety twisting in his stomach.

He and Ladybug joked all the time, and he was _just talking_ to her, so why was he was suddenly so _nervous_ —

His phone rang. Adrien swallowed as he let it ring once, twice, then picked it up.

“H-Hello?” he asked.

“A-A-Adrien! Agreste! Hi!” came Ladybug’s voice. “Uh, this is Ladybug!”

The corner of Adrien’s mouth quirked up, body relaxing at her voice even as his heart thumped louder in his ears. He couldn’t stop his fondness from seeping into his tone as he answered, “Hi, Ladybug.”

There was a pause, a shuffling sound, and then—

“Hi! Yes, um, there’s—there’s something very important I have to tell you!”

She sounded frazzled. Adrien could imagine what Ladybug looked like just then, using both hands to hold her yoyo to her ear, biting her lip as she wracked her brain for the best way to prank him.

“I’m all ears,” he told her.

Another pause, and then Adrien heard the last thing he expected.

[An insanely catchy, incredibly familiar beat](https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ) blasted through his phone, and Adrien could not stop the snort that burst out of him.

 _Ladybug is a meme come true_ , he thought and laughed even harder.

  


* * *

  


**25\. weakness**

[weakness](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12634092)

  


* * *

  


**26\. caught in the act**

[@devillustrator: anonymous requested “romantic handjob”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12751077)

  


* * *

  


**27\. falling (gold and silver au)**

Ladybug kicked her feet as she sat at the top of Adrien’s parkour ramp, carding her hand through her boyfriend’s hair while he stretched out beside her, his head in her lap. They watched the city through his windows as the snow fell, covering the landscape in white.

“…You won’t be able to go home through this storm, you know,” said Adrien, turning his face to look up at her.

“Oh no,” she said flatly. “Whatever will I do? Is there no handsome prince to give me shelter from the cold?”

Adrien’s chuckles left him shaking against her, and she smiled down at him. It was impossible not to give in to the urge to push back his hair, lean down, and kiss his forehead.

“I _think_ I could find some room for you, lady knight,” he said, eyes bright with laughter. He reached down to take the hand resting at her side, lacing their fingers together.

“And where would that be?” she asked.

He made a show of looking around his room before turning back to her with a dramatic sigh.

“It seems we’re forced to share my bed,” he said, completely ignoring the couch, computer chair, and carpeted floor. “But I don’t know if it’s safe to let a strange, if beautiful, knight in there.”

“What a dilemma,” Ladybug crooned, fluttering her eyelashes at him. “Is there any way to convince you to let me stay…?”

Adrien’s mischievous grin always managed to warm her heart. “You could swear your loyalty to me,” he said.

“And how would I do that?” she asked, already sure of his answer when he moved to get up.

“With a kisaaaahhhh!”

Ladybug grabbed his arm before he fell completely off the ramp. “Adrien, you need to be more careful!”

“Sorry, Ladybug!” he yelped.

  


* * *

  


**28\. the best friend knows**

“Once again, DJ Nino has won his challenge!” Alec announced to the studio cameras. “That’s the end of our show, but we’ll see our champion next week for an even _tougher_ test of his skills! Good night, and thanks for watching!”

Nino waved proudly as he walked off the stage of The Challenge, pleased at how much exposure his songs were getting, then paused when he saw Adrien’s bodyguard standing by himself.

“Where’s Adrien?” asked Nino.

The man grunted before pointing to the sign leading to the washroom.

“Aww man, he missed my big moment!” Nino sighed. “What a bummer.”

Chat Noir let out a nervous laugh as he and Ladybug joined Nino.

“Maybe your friend had some bad fish?” Chat Noir suggested.

“I hope not,” said Ladybug, a… _suspiciously_ worried frown on her face before she turned to Nino with a smile. “Your music is amazing! Great job, Nino!”

“It was im_paw_ssible not to dance,” Chat added, grinning as Ladybug rolled her eyes.

Nino puffed up under the praise from _actual superheroes_. “Thanks! I’m glad you could make it.”

“Us too. But we really should get going—” Ladybug began, only for Nino to grab her elbow.

“Wait! I need to talk to you about something,” said Nino. Then his eyes flicked to an extremely curious Chat Noir. “Alone.”

Chat Noir immediately backed up, hands raised. “Y-yes! Of course! I’ll just be…uh, bye!”

He took off towards the doors, and Nino led Ladybug to a quieter corner of the set. She crossed her arms, radiating disapproval.

“That was a bit rude,” she told him. “Anything you say in front of me, you can say in front of Chat.”

“Even if it’s about my best bud?” Nino pressed, suspicions confirmed when Ladybug tensed.

“W-w-what about Adrien?” she asked.

Nino lifted an eyebrow. “ _Something_ is going on between you two.”

“Nothing is going on!” said Ladybug, fidgeting with her hands, then her hair, then her yoyo. “That’s ridiculous! I mean, we barely know each other! Why would anything be going on?”

“He’s being really cagey about the akuma attack last week,” Nino began.

“Well, his dad _was_ attacked—”

“And he won’t tell me _anything_ about when you went after him,” he finished.

Ladybug’s mouth snapped shut, and she started to _blush_.

Jackpot.

“Something _did_ happen!” said Nino, triumphant and accusing at once.

“No!” She waved her hands frantically in front of her. “No! I-I-I didn’t see anything!”

“You didn’t _see_ —”

In an instant, it all clicked together. When Ladybug ordered Nino and the Agreste’s lady butler downstairs to prepare for Jackady’s attack, Adrien was _still in the shower_.

“You walked in on him, didn’t you?” Nino hissed, scandalized shock slowly transforming into an overwhelming urge to _laugh_. “That’s what this is about? Seeing my bro _au naturel_?”

Ladybug’s face almost matched her suit. “I SAID I DIDN’T—”

“Hey, um, is everything…okay?” Adrien cut in, back from the washroom and clearly confused.

Ladybug let out a squeak that Nino would treasure for the rest of his days and shot out of the set with a “GOTTAGOBYE”.

“What was _that_ about?” asked Adrien, and Nino smirked, slinging an arm around his shoulders.

“That, my friend, is a little something I like to call _victory_ ,” Nino told him. “C’mon dude, we’ve got some stuff to hash out.”

  


* * *

  


**29\. fairytale (tangled au)**

Walking into the hidden clearing was like walking into the scene of fairytale.

Sheer cliffs surrounded the tiny, sunlit meadow, shielding it from the rest of the forest. There was a narrow waterfall at the far end, which fed a clear stream that wound its way around the base of an actual _tower_.

The stone tower was old and solitary, covered in ivy and no other buildings nearby. With the royal guards searching for her nearby, Ladybug was acutely aware of the lack of any visible door.

She ran forward anyway, unclipping her yoyo from her belt and whipping it upwards. The disc coiled around a convenient hook in front of an open window. Tugging at the magically enhanced string, she flew up in the air and landed silently on the windowsill.

Ladybug stepped into the darkened room, the floor creaking under her feet but did not give way like she half-feared it would. She walked further inside, peering at the surprisingly well-kept space and relaxing when she saw that she was alone.

She put away her yoyo and reached for her satchel. Opening it, she smirked when she saw the stolen crown sitting where it should be.

“That was easy,” said Ladybug, right before she was knocked out.

  


* * *

  


When Ladybug came to, _something_ furry was stepping on her face.

Yelping and shaking her head, it fell off, and she opened her eyes to find…hair.

Someone had opened a hatch in the roof of the tower room, letting light glint off the long locks of golden hair tying her to a chair.

“What in the _world?_ ” she muttered, eyeing the hair where it was draped over furniture, bannisters, and even to the _ceiling_ —

“You…you won’t escape!” a voice told her.

Ladybug could barely see someone hiding in the shadows of the ceiling, right where the hair seemed to lead. They hopped down, staying out of sight as they spoke.

“I know why you’re here, ruffian, and I’m _not_ afraid of you,” they said shakily.

Ladybug squinted in confusion, trying to catch a glimpse of the person. “What? What are you talking about?”

 _He_ stepped out into the light, clearly the owner of the golden hair. The man, her likely captor, looked about her age and was barefoot. He wore the fanciest sleepwear she’d ever seen and wielded what looked like a frying pan.

“Who are you? How did you find me?” he asked.

In an instant, Ladybug analyzed her surroundings and her captor and came up with the best possible solution to her ‘being kidnapped’ problem.

She had to flirt her way out, and she had to flirt _hard_.

“Hey, hot stuff,” she said with a wink. “The name’s Ladybug. I don’t know how I got here or who you are, but I’d like to find out.”

Her captor met her leer with a look of utter confusion, and Ladybug tried not to let her irritation at his cluelessness show.

“If you let me out, maybe we could get to know each other over dinner and a play?” she tried again.

His expression morphed into stubborn determination, one that Ladybug almost admired even as she sighed mentally.

This was going to take more time than she thought.

  


* * *

  


**30\. fashion show**

“It’s…uh. It’s…”

Nino couldn’t finish his sentence, turning away from Adrien as his shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Adrien looked down at his outfit, still too shocked to describe it properly. It was similar to a suit, but it was Ladybug-patterned, and the pants were…shorts? With ribbons hanging off them? And the jacket was more like a flared top coat that wouldn’t close? And he wore red knee-high boots?? Because???

Chloé adjusted the collar of his jacket and kissed his cheek.

“It’s _clearly_ the winning design of our school’s talent show,” she announced smugly.

It clearly wasn’t.

Adrien opened his mouth to stop enabling this madness, only to be interrupted by a minotaur breaking through the backstage wall.

One echoing bellow later, chaos erupted as everyone tried to evacuate at once. Chloé was already gone, but Nino tugged at his sleeve.

“Dude, we have to move!” Nino hissed.

“ _You_ should move,” Adrien said softly, pushing him away as he kept an eye on the akuma, whose eyes were fixed on _him_.

Weren’t bulls attracted to red?

“That’s Bourgeois’ design, isn’t it?!” the minotaur roared, and nope, _nope_ , Adrien was _wrong_.

“RUN!” he shouted.

Adrien sprinted away from Nino, knowing he couldn’t outrun the ground-shaking gallop chasing him. But if he could just lead the akuma outside—

An arm wrapped around his waist, heaving him away before the minotaur could gore him with its horns. Adrien clung to Ladybug as they swung into rafters.

“Close shave,” he said shakily, only noticing that Ladybug was still holding him when he _felt_ her laugh.

“It was,” she said, her lips tilting into a smirk as she gave him a once-over. “Nice outfit.”

Cheeks burning, Adrien opened his mouth—

“THANKS LADYBUG!” Chloé yelled from her hiding spot, before squeaking when the minotaur spotted her.


End file.
